MY SISTER’S POSSESSED! by Shakna

Feature Writer: shakna

Feature Title: MY SISTER’S POSSESSED!

Published: 03.07.2024

Story Codes: Demonic, Incest, Drug references, Magic

Synopsis: Trying to play the hero, for a lost sister

Author’s Notes: I am absolutely indebted to HL Ginsberg for this one. Without his translations of the hymns of Ba’al, I would not have had a lot to go on. For all the references to the lioness your research provided, I thank you.

My Sister’s Possessed!

The call wasn’t one that Josh was expecting.

He hadn’t heard from his sister in a couple of months. She lived a few hours away from Melbourne in a very rural little town. Small and country enough that it was one of the filming sites for the original Mad Max.

The last time that they had spoken, he’d brought up that he was uncomfortable with a few of her friends. He’d been worried that they might be leading her down a bad path. She’d reminded him that she was an adult, and basically told him to leave her alone, forever.

He hadn’t expected to ever hear from her again.

“J-josh? We… I… F-fucked up.” Bek’s voice was broken and rough, and that was all he heard before the phone dropped out with a burst of static.

He’d never heard her that upset before, and so, despite it being the middle of the night, he jumped in the car and headed out towards the tiny place. Every attempt to call on the way just got a busy tone.

It was two hours away, whether he went through Ballarat or Daylesford. Usually he opted for the latter, because the bigger town’s drivers generally felt like they had a damn death wish.

Two hours was more than enough for him to descend into full panic, and maybe become a little reckless in his own driving. Bek hadn’t managed to tell him how she’d screwed up, or if she was even at home.

He’d heard just her single voice, the static, and then nothing at all.

Trying to tell himself that the static was just music blasting through party speakers didn’t really work. Bek’s friends were the partying type, but it was the other stuff that had concerned Josh. The willingness to try any kind of drug, and inability to recognise addiction.

The combination of alcohol with any other cocktail of drugs that they were on, as if that wasn’t just asking for trouble. Covering up the damage of the past with that, and sex. He doubted that most of them had escaped from infection and STDs, even if a few actually did practice safe sex.

All of that was bad enough.

However, where things turned weird, the reason he was so worried, was that the group was obsessed with the supernatural. One of them self-identified as a vampire. Another claimed to be the reincarnation of the Norse god of war.

The leader of the little group of hippies called himself a wizard and master of the mystic arts. Claimed that he could summon gods and demons, bind them to his will. He was a huge part of the problem.

He said he could use the magic of his summonings to cure disease and infection. Use the spirits to cleanse and purify. It all sounded like bullshit to Josh, and screamed warning signs at him. However, Bek didn’t see it that way. She saw them as the family she’d never had.

She’d been proud to tell him that the asshole in charge was beginning to teach her magic. That she was finally fitting in somewhere. Which is when Josh had tried to caution her. He’d worded it as carefully as he could, but she’d still been beyond offended.

He could remember her hazel eyes glaring at him, threatening to cry. Her face framed by twin plaited fringes, as she told him that she didn’t need him in her life, and she’d be better off if she never heard his voice, ever again.

It had beyond hurt.

The two of them had always been together, and it had always been just the two of them.

They’d drifted through state housing as kids. There weren’t a lot of places willing to take two kids, so Child Protective Services had attempted to separate them.

Every single time it had happened, after being forced to move into a new place, his sister had packed her bags and just started walking. She said that she had never picked a destination, but she’d always managed to end up on Josh’s doorstep. Even when he’d been sent to a new place in the meantime, after they’d been separated.

Twenty two years together, for it to end with just one thing said wrong.

The memories of his sister weren’t helping his anxiety. Josh had seen Bek upset, and angry, and lost. He’d never heard her as broken as in that moment before the noise and the call ending.

Had someone died? Was it the sound of a car crashing?

A little over a thousand people lived in Clunes. His sister was over the main hill, down by one of several pubs, and then just off a dirt track that served as a sort of driveway.

It wasn’t just one thing said, of course. Relationships end on the one thing said, but there were always lots of small things. Mistakes that you didn’t realise you’d made until too late.

As his car thumped up and down over the drive, he saw it.

The whole night sky was lit up a deep orange as the house roared in flames. There was no fire brigade, no emergency services of any kind. Just black smoke and the flames.

He could see two cars outside the house, looking completely trashed. They were burning husks, but the roofs of both vehicles were caved in.

Josh swung in, and tossed open his door, reaching for his phone to call emergency.

A firm hand grabbed his wrist, “Bit late for that shit. This is beyond them.”

“Get off me.” He snapped at the woman in a white pointed hat. He really didn’t need to deal with some deluded witch, right now.

“Not deluded, but these idiots were.” The woman said sourly, “Summoning Ba’al for fuck’s sake. Hmm. Sister? Bek. I think… Yeah. She’s still alive. Hold my hand. We might, just might, have a chance to get her out. She’s the only one in there who has a chance, really.”

Josh didn’t get a chance to answer. The woman interlaced her fingers with his, held tight to something on the end of a necklace with the other, and then dragged him towards the front door and the roaring flames.

The door fell backwards, off its hinges, as they stepped onto the porch, and Josh shielded his face with his arm against the heat, before he was dragged inside. He could feel the hair on his arm burning, the skin feeling like it was blistering. Stepping in was madness.

It was worse after the first step.

They stepped downwards towards the floor and his stomach twisted. Vertigo hit hard, and his foot ended up on the hallway wall. The witch didn’t pause. Walking down the side of a wall like it was an everyday thing. Flames pulling back in front of her, but not him.

“Keep close. This one’s pissed.” The witch stated. “And please don’t puke on me, when we get there. Hard enough dealing with the curses, as is.”

“The fuck… Is happening?” Josh coughed through the smoke.

The woman tsk’d angrily, “Your sister and her friends summoned an ancient and powerful god that I was hoping was fucking dead. No questions? Good.”

“Questions!”

“Shut up.” The witch snapped, “This shit is hard enough. Crap. Missed our turn. Back through here.”

She dragged him through a doorway, and onto the roof. The flames were instantly replaced with a blizzard. Snow and ice blasted into his face, and ripped at every inch of his exposed skin. Numbing and burning it at the same time, making him feel like his skin was about to be torn free.

The witch seemed just as confident as ever, dragging him along even though he could barely see her, let alone anything else. Josh wanted to believe this was a nightmare, but it felt too real. Even his twisted mind couldn’t come up with this.

“Nightmare isn’t that far off!” The witch shouted over the storm, “Ba’al started out in life as a nightmare spirit! But then she went and ate her dreamer, and now… Now, she can do shit like this!”

He finally realised that she could read his thoughts. It was obvious, but not exactly ordinary. She was his sister’s only hope, if things were as bad as they were looking, right now.

Only real magic could get her out of… This.

“Actually her only hope is… Nevermind. Too complicated. We’re nearly there. Again, don’t puke on me!” The witch yelled.

Josh felt, rather than saw, them pass through another doorway. The weather vanished, and the woman released his hand. He fell to his knees as his mind reeled.

He found himself floating, spiralling, and not moving at all. Kneeling in orbit around a black hole, and just on a solid wooden floor in an ordinary room. Both images were real, both were happening, and both exclusive of each other.

He puked.

“Not bad for a newbie.” The witch smiled sympathetically. “You’re seeing things as they are. Ordinary folk, they see a normal room. Nothing out of place. The sensitive ones feel creeped out. People like you and me? We see this bullshit. Rip in reality, where Ba’al’s trying to shove herself through.”

Josh groaned, “The black hole’s the real thing? Not the room?”

“Yeah… And shut up. Working.” She raised a hand and flicked it. The void around them rumbling and groaning when she did. A female voice screamed somewhere in the distance.

“Bek!”

“Got it. Shut up.” The witch gritted her teeth, turning her head slightly to the side, “Well, fuck. Rolph really is dead. Dumbass! I told him that he had no idea what he was doing… Fuck! He used your sister. No wonder Ba’al actually rocked up… There! Josh, hand!”

He reached towards the witch, and found his hand closing around the bottom of a dress. He quickly grabbed with the other hand, and dragged with all his strength.

He fumbled and managed to find a pair of legs, before something else yanked backwards against him. Josh yelled as he was yanked off his feet, the witch barely managing to grab one of his ankles as he suddenly found himself playing tug of war against gravity.

Something with a heck of a lot more force than gravity.

“A second one.” A voice like a screaming chorus spat into Josh’s face.

The witch groaned behind him, “Burning out here, Josh! You need to grab her, now!”

“I thought I had!”

“Not the girl! The thing holding her!” The witch yelled back, “Grab the fucking demon!”

That might have been the most counter-intuitive thing he’d ever heard. But what the fuck did he know about exorcism? Josh reached one hand out blindly, and his fingers found what felt like burnt skin and flesh.

He winced as he grabbed on tight, and the chorus of voices shrieked in pain. The woman behind him pulled on his ankle, dragging him back down to solid ground.

The world rippled for a moment, and the stench of sulphur was thrown into his face. Josh swallowed the vomit that hit his mouth, and then the strange chaos was gone.

He hit the floor of an ordinary room, and collapsed to his knees.

The witch swiped a thumb through his mouth and then planted it on the forehead of the woman lying in his arms. The blonde groaning, but seemingly asleep. She was wearing a dress that was white, but stained with blood splatter across the entire thing.

Josh winced, “Bek. Is she… Okay?”

“I wouldn’t be.” The woman said darkly, surveying the room, “She just saw six people die. Friends. She’s going to be fucked up for a bit… But it gets so much worse. So… You believe in magic, yet?”

“Yes.” He replied hoarsely.

“Good. Because you are.” She stated, glaring at him. “Most witches and wizards avoid Melbourne. Because that’s my home, and I’m not that nice. Name’s Lily. I’m the White Witch, first and last defence humanity has against bullshit like this.”

“Uh… I am?”

Lily nodded, taking off her hat and kneeling down, “Yeah. You and her. Not everyone can learn magic. And having the ability to learn doesn’t make it remotely easy. It’s friggin’ hard. But you two both have it. She was born a witch, and you a wizard. You’re… Magus. Magician. Sorcerers. Whatever bullshit you want to call it.”

Josh winced, “So… When her friends tried to summon a demon…”

“The fucked-up god noticed them, because they used Bek’s cum.” Lily said sympathetically. “She probably had less than a minute to call you, before everything went to hell. She thought of you, first.”

He stared, “Did… Did you just say… Cum!? I was kinda expecting blood…”

“Yeah, that works in a pinch. But sex is a stronger thing. She and Rolph fucked inside a ritual circle, until your sister came… And then Ba’al came calling.” Lily shrugged.

Josh took a deep breath, “You were saying… It’s worse than a… Massacre?”

“Ba’al’s not gone.”

He flinched, “Fuck. So… He’s going to come for Bek, again? And I guess, me?”

“Not really.” Lily said nervously, playing with the brim of her hat, “I needed something attuned to the demon… And I was nearly at my limit… And it’s technically her fault… So… Um…”

“Spit it out.”

“I sealed the demon inside your sister.” Lily winced, “Sorry.”

Josh looked down at the sleeping girl and then back up, “And what the fuck does that mean!?”

“Two souls. Two minds. One body.” Lily scratched her cheek nervously, “Uh… Demon is sealed. They can’t do much. Can’t do anything that your sister doesn’t want. But they can do the things your sister doesn’t know she wants. So… I kinda gave Bek the power of a dark god, and a second conscience. One that’ll sit on her shoulder and tell her how fun it would be, to do all the bad things.”

He rubbed his face, “Can you fix it… After you… Recharge, or whatever?”

“Only if it’s what Bek wants. Which I seriously doubt.” Lily sighed, “She’ll be fine. But she’s going to need some… Guidance. Someone to keep her on the straight and narrow. Or I’ll have to kill her.”

“What the fuck.”

Lily stood up, shaking at the knees and looking pale. “Yeah. Sorry. I’m going to go home, throw up, and sleep for a month. Ginger’s number is in your phone, now. Call her if you need anything. Uhm… Take Bek back to your place. She doesn’t need the memories of this hellhole, first thing.”

A broomstick appeared, floating horizontally. The witch took a hold of it tiredly, and vanished without moving.

Josh looked down at his sister, and shivered.

---

“Poke! Poke!” Someone said excitedly, jabbing a finger into Josh’s face.

He opened his eyes to find Bek grinning at him brightly. Her nose crinkled up, she grabbed his head in both hands and roughly pushed their foreheads together, “Good morning!”

He pulled back, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. He’d fallen asleep with his head on the couch, where he’d laid down his sister. A sister who didn’t look like she remembered last night. Small mercies.

“Morning, Miss Sunshine.”

She giggled, “Ooh, I like that one. I’m your Miss Sunshine! Don’t suppose that you’ve got any breakfast for Miss Sunshine? Actually, I kinda feel like cooking. Bacon and eggs were your favourite? Or my French toast.”

He stomach turned, and Josh felt like something was distinctly wrong. He couldn’t put his finger on it, exactly. This was Bek. She had always been bright and bubbly, before she met… People who were gone. He felt guilty, blaming the dead.

Bek stepped by him, tousling his hair, “Up and at ’em, Josh! Got a whole day and world for living! And I plan on fucking living!”

“Ba’al.” Josh realised darkly.

“Oops.” The blonde twirled on one foot and blushing. “Darn. What gave it away?”

He stood up slowly, clenching his fists but having no idea what to do. He addressed the demon controlling his sister’s body, “Is she in there?”

“Still sleeping. And crying. So much crying.” Ba’al rubbed one foot on the back of her ankle. “I… Didn’t mean to hurt anyone. Not exactly… And I’m never going to hurt her! Bek and I… We’re the same, now. She’s part of me. I remember what she does. Feel what she does.”

“Give her back.”

Ba’al sighed, “She’s asleep, Josh. Seriously. She needs it. So, no, I’m not about to wake her up. She’ll take the reins when she’s good and ready. And then probably cry until she’s too dehydrated to even pee.”

“Demon.” He gritted his teeth, “Let go of my sister.”

The woman rolled her eyes, “I’m not trapping her! Didn’t the witch explain things…? I’m sealed. I can’t hurt you, and I can’t hurt Bek. By the storm gods I feel small, now. I’m part of Bek, and she’s part of me.”

“What exactly do you mean by hurt?” He said, suspiciously.

Ba’al winced, “Upsetting you… Hurts. I mean, I don’t give a constipated turd about any other human. Your whole race is a bunch of sacrifices waiting to happen. Greedy cunts who want my power and magic, and are willing to step on each other to get it. But… Witch used you to seal me. So you’re… Special.”

“You still have magic.” Josh winced. “Even, sealed?”

She laughed, “Of course! Sealing just means I got a master. You. If you wanted gold or wanted to become a king, then I can make it happen for you. I gave the last one to seal me away, a princess, a palace, and helped him kill an asshole sorcerer intent on stealing everything. They put me in a ring as my reward.”

He scratched the side of his head, “What? Are you… A genie?”

“That story. That one, that you’re thinking of, that’s me.” She said flatly, “Not the one in the lamp. The one in the ring. There’s two in the real story. Kinda insulting that everyone likes the bigger asshole, considering he let the sorcerer use him to steal from our master. No loyalty, at all.”

Josh swallowed nervously, “You’re… A genie. A trickster.”

“No. I’m a god, mortal!” She snapped and stamped a foot, “I am a god. I have existed before your puny little world did! Your scientists debate the nature of your pretty little big bang. Discussing the expansion of your universe. How does a singularity work? All that… Crud. I saw it. I was bored by it. Well, until sapient life evolved. That, I didn’t see coming.”

He considered the implications of what she was claiming. If she had existed somehow before the universe did, then she was likely used to being big enough to witness the whole of the universe. Being trapped in a single human body, on a single planet, in a single galaxy… Was likely a kind of crushing isolation.

“Everyone wants something.” Josh acknowledged, “You want your freedom, I guess. I want to not die, so I can’t give you that. I also want my sister to be safe.”

Ba’al blew at her fringe, “No, I don’t. I’m part of Bek, now. How many times do I have to say that, before you get it? What she wants, I want. Mostly what she wants, is… Something she thinks she can’t have. She’s been living with that greed. Indulging in drugs and alcohol and pathetic attempts at magic, searching for a way to fill that hole. I’m just going to grant her wish.”

“What wish?”

She shook her head, “That’s for Bek. She’ll tell you, when she’s ready. We both will. But, the first step to get there, is learning to have a little fun. Loosening both of you up. My master, and my other half. So… Bacon and eggs? Or French toast?”

“Going to poison it?” He raised an eyebrow.

She tightened her jaw and stepped close to him, glaring up at him from less than an inch away. “I can’t hurt you, Josh. I am your Miss Sunshine. The whole world is fun, for living. I’ve never had a body, before. Just a spirit, with the ring. It’s all new. So I’m going to make the best of it. You don’t trust me enough to eat? Fine. I’m going to sulk and make French toast, and you can’t have any!”

With that, she stormed off towards the kitchen, leaving him scratching his head in utter confusion.

He knew that Ba’al was responsible for all of the chaos that he had witnessed. That people had actually died. The thing was controlling his sister, and nothing about history said that a single word out of its mouth should be trusted.

He remembered, and reached for his phone, dialling the new number he found here.

“Ginger.” A half-husky voice answered instantly.

“Um… It’s Josh. Uhm…”

“Oh. Ya sister got the demon, right? What ya need?” The witch sounded actually casual about it.

He winced, “The thing’s awake. Not my sister. The thing inside her. It’s… Trying to make breakfast? Was going to be both of us but me not trusting it, kinda made it annoyed? The fuck am I meant to be doing?”

Ginger snorted loudly, “Lils just left ya in it, eh? So long as the seal holds, that thing is gonna want to do whatever ya sister wants. Same person, with the same motivations, but two different personalities. Ya feel me?”

“Not… Really.”

“Ya sister got herself a split-personality, but one that’s got the same memories, goals, and so on.”

“And… Magic?”

“That too. But as I ‘eard it, you and Bek got magic o’ ya own, too, right?” Ginger sounded a touch confused.

Josh sighed, “That’s what Lily said.”

“Oh. So ya never done no magic, before?” Ginger said in surprise.

“Nope.”

“Huh. Gonna be insensitive. Where ya parents at, Josh?”

He winced, hating that conversation. “Orphans. Maybe. My file is sealed, and I’ve never seen the point of unsealing it just to find out why I was abandoned. Bek and I were all the family each other had.”

“Huh. Makes sense why she went down the route she did. Messin’ wit’ magic blind.” Ginger replied, “Sorry. Sounds shit. Anyway, the thing can’t hurt ya nor ya sister. Unless, it works out how ta break the seal. Which, it could. Ya won’t miss it happen, though. You’ll be right back to how ya found the bitchin’ thing.”

Josh shivered, “That’s fucked up.”

“Yeah. So… Play along. The thing does want what ya sister does. It ain’t no enemy. Think of it like… A pet. Lovin’, but dangerous if ya don’t set the right ground rules. Make sure to train it. But don’t call it a pet, or an it. They’re a person, now. And probs don’t know shit ’bout bein’ a person.”

“Called itself my Miss Sunshine.” He said darkly, “Also claimed to be Aladdin’s ring or something.”

“Huh. Ya gots that Ba’al. Better than one that not knowin’ people, I guess. Some of the other Ba’als are seriously fucked up.” Ginger sounded distracted, “Look, I gotta go. I gots a delivery. But I wouldn’t worry much, Josh. Play along, feel ’em out. You have a new houseguest.”

“Who killed a bunch of people.”

“Accident. Like a car accident. If you had magic ta make ya own galaxy, you’d find it hard not to break shit. And ya sis did wave a red flag at a god, tryin’ ta trap it ‘n all.” Ginger replied patiently.

Josh sighed, “Um… Thanks.”

“Keep me in the loop, and… Have a fun day. ‘Kay?”

He thanked her again, and hung up. Then, he took a nice long and deep breath, before heading to the kitchen.

---

“Can’t have any!” Ba’al announced the minute that Josh walked into the kitchen.

The woman was sitting on his bench, glumly eating egg-soaked bread, which she was dipping into cinnamon and sugar. He took a double-take, and then smiled slowly, “Couldn’t work out the stove?”

“Bek’s memories are kinda screwed up.” Ba’al stuck out her chin, “Not my fault she can’t remember how to cook!”

He walked over, grabbed a pan and lit the stove. “Let it warm up for a minute. Also, raw egg isn’t that safe to eat.”

“Bek can’t get sick anymore. I can handle that! I just… Last time, there was flint and stuff… For cooking…” The woman replied defensively.

Josh sighed, “Let’s make a deal. I don’t know you, and you don’t know me half as well as you think you do. If there’s something you don’t get, you ask. For my part, I’ll try not to hate you.”

“Bek loves you. Hates you, too.” Ba’al glared at him, “I mean, you were kinda right about her friends. They had no idea what they were doing. And… I… Happened. But I didn’t mean it! Sorta, mostly. I was… Angry. But not at Bek! She was just meant to be the sacrifice, and she didn’t get what waking me would… Do.”

He winced, and then soaked some bread, crumbed it, and tossed it into the pan. “I… Miss her. And understand nothing about what happened.”

“But… You’re a sorcerer.”

He shrugged, “Didn’t think magic was real, until I saw yours. Still feels like I’m in shock on that one. Should be hitting me harder.”

“Oh… Oh, crud.” The blonde blushed furiously, “I… I was sorta assuming that you knew it and stuff. But you don’t, do you? No wonder this is all weird to you. Never done a summon in your life, have you?”

“No?”

She fiddled with a plait, “Well. That changes things a bit. I’m sorry for being a pigfaced Aram. For someone who has never seen magic, you’re not actually treating me too badly. I guess… I’m just a kidnapping murderer to you, huh?”

“Pretty much. Sorry.” He said heavily, “Ginger says it wasn’t entirely your fault… But… People died.”

“People always die around me.” Ba’al whispered, sounding upset.

He flipped the toast in the pan, “So, skipping over the trauma, what does living look like to you?”

“Bek wanted to go to the animal park.” Ba’al replied distractedly, “Something about wanting to steal a cassowary feather, for one of the group’s magic rituals. She’s been… A bit lost, without you around. No idea what to do with her life.”

“Bek would kill me if we re-enrolled her at uni.” Josh tried to joke.

Ba’al swung her legs idly, “She’s crying, again. Doesn’t want to face you. I… I really don’t know what to do.”

“Her friends are dead. Give her a couple years to get over it.” Josh replied.

The demon frowned, “Her memories aren’t that clear. Too upset. Lots of nightmares mixed in. But there was one, that maybe might help. Buying… Pink fur? Edible fur? And fishing for ducks with her mouth? It was a place with lots of bright lights and things that go in a circle.”

“Carnival. Probably Luna Park.” Josh said in surprise, “I always thought she hated it. We used to go, when we had the money to spend. It’s expensive, but kinda fun.”

Ba’al grinned at him, “We should go!”

“It’s expensive. I don’t have the cash for it, and I doubt Bek does.”

The blonde rolled her eyes at him, “Did you miss the part where I’m a god? Money is no object. Even if you replaced gold with… Plastic stuff? Whatever. I’ve got more magic than most stars. More than that fucking witch. And the more you cheer up Bek, the more likely she is to take over. Because that’s what you really want, isn’t it, master? Get rid of me. For her.”

He looked at the woman saying the bitter words and staring at the floor. He sighed, “Would it surprise you to know, that I have no idea what I want? My sister nearly died. So, sure. I want to see her. I don’t know you. I’ll take time to work things out. I don’t know what to think about you, yet.”

“I feel what she feels.” Ba’al whispered, blinking back tears. “And now I know what it felt like, when you told her that her friends weren’t good enough. Because I’m not good enough for you.”

Josh shuffled the food onto a plate, “I’m cooking for you.”

“For her. Not me.” Ba’al said sadly as she picked it up and nibbled the edge. She sniffled, “It’s… Good.”

“For you.” Josh repeated, “I don’t get it, yet. The line where one of you begins and where she ends, that’s not clear to me. Frankly, I’m reeling. Magic is real. People have died. So… I can make toast. That’s what I can do, so I’ll do it.”

His sister’s face welled up completely, and the tears ran down her cheeks. Ba’al kept on eating, nibbling away at the French toast, even as she sniffled back a nose that wanted to run.

She stared at the table, unable to look at him. These weren’t the angry tears he’d seen when he ruined their relationship. These weren’t the hurt tears when his sister was telling him about a guy she’d broken up with. They were deeper.

These were hopeless tears, lost and broken.

Josh sat down at the table carefully, “Does it… Feel a bit strange? Being human, I mean?”

“I’m a god!” She snapped angrily, before lapsing back into tears, and whispering. “I’m a god.”

Not knowing how to help guide a cosmic entity through self-actualisation, Josh blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Goddess, isn’t it? Unless you’re a guy under all that?”

“Zounderkite.” She rolled her eyes, “Female and male is all shit on you. I don’t even know why you all opted to have men and women fronts. Half your small animals can switch. Even some humans are born with all your genders, like the gods. Like me.”

Josh stared for a moment in surprise. “Oh… Uh… Should I use different pronouns or something? Like xe or they?”

“Whatever. All the same to me.” Ba’al shrugged, and then her face twisted.

Her face flushed red, the tips of her ears joining and going even more red. Her mouth dropped into a disapproving frown, and she slammed both hands onto the table. The woman shoved back her chair as she stood.

“You’re such a simping, cocksucking, pathetic -”

She was cut off as Josh grabbed her in a fierce hug. Whispering to her as he bear-hugged the pissed off woman. “I love you, Bek.”

“I wasn’t… I didn’t…” His sister stumbled over her words for a moment, before giving in and hugging him back. Burying her head into his neck and sniffling as the tears flooded out.

Her hands became claws, digging into his back, like she was trying to crawl inside him. Her breathing choking as she struggled with the emotions that were dashing her to pieces.

His sister felt light in his arms, like her body was as close to shattering apart as she was. They hadn’t shared something like this, since they were kids. The Bek that he knew, was a fiery queen who stood over most everyone. She had a thing for deferring to her boyfriends, but she was a brilliant blaze in front of everyone else.

The last time he could remember anything like this, had been the last time CPS had tried to separate them. Sending them off to different houses.

“I’m here. No idea what I’m doing, but I’m here.” He assured her.

Bek leaned back a little, and gave a big sniff.

As she snorted, she suddenly looked grossed out, and looked around anxiously, “Where’s a kerchief?”

“Kerchief?” He asked, before realising, “Oh. Ba’al. What’s a kerchief?”

The woman flicked her hands, “A kerchief! You know, wipe your face, so it isn’t all horrible sickness!?”

“Tissue, coming up.” Josh stepped back and grabbed the box from the bench. “Guessing Bek ran away?”

The woman snatched a tissue to wipe at her face, shivering as she cleaned herself. “She’s… Not coping. Not that I’m much better. I feel, what she feels, for the thousandth time, Aram!”

“Aram’s an insult, isn’t it?”

“First man born before marriage.” She shrugged.

“Oh. You’re calling me a bastard.”

She gave an angry sneer, tears still glistening in her eyes.

Josh felt more out of his depth than he had felt in his entire life. That angry stare was completely identical to the one his sister had given him, before she had decided to cut him out of her life.

Before he’d failed to protect her, and she’d ended up in a magical cult, that was somehow actually magic, and had summoned some kind of demon god that had threatened to tear apart all of reality. A demon now trapped inside his sister, and somehow bound there by… Him?

He took the dirty tissue from her hand, and tossed it into the bin. She looked at him oddly, and then her frown deepened. He raised an eyebrow, entirely uncertain what he had done wrong now, and beginning to realise that he wasn’t coping with whatever strangeness this was.

She turned her eyes to the bin, and then back to him, “You throw things away. A dump. Bek recalls a dump.”

“Oh. Right. Yeah, we humans pretty much suck when it comes to environmentalism.” He shrugged, “Sorry.”

She rolled her eyes, “No need to apologise to me. I’m eternal. Y’all are the dumb fucks ruining your own ability to breathe.”

He nodded slowly, “On the dumb fuck front… What do you want to do with this dumb fuck, after you finish your breakfast, Miss Sunshine?”

“Everything is new.” She said with a little irritation, sitting down and beginning to delicately nibble on the bread again.

Josh cooked another piece of French toast, before carefully joining her at the table. He didn’t sit beside her. The wooden object was between him and the woman who looked and sounded like his sister, but… Wasn’t?

That might be the worst part of this. His sister was right there, but not. That was hard. But not knowing who she was, anymore? The division between Ba’al and Bek was… Something. But it wasn’t solid. It was messy.

He would have gladly taken a movie-esque split personality over whatever the hell this mess was.

“Miss. Sunshine.”

He looked up in surprise, and then gave a sad half-smile, “Hey, Bek.”

“You call her Miss Sunshine again, and I’m sticking a spoon up your dick, jerk.” Bek said angrily, dropping the food onto the plate. Her fingers tightened and pushed against the edge of the table, and one of her cheek’s twitched.

Josh had seen this before.

His sister was right on the edge of breaking apart. She was trying to latch onto her anger, to protect herself. Which, given the shitload of shit that was currently cascading down, he absolutely did not blame her for.

“Guess… You hate me.”

She stared for a moment, and then blinked as her bottom lip trembled. She shook her head, but wasn’t able to say anything. If she spoke, the tears would come, and she absolutely refused to break in front of him.

“How about… You take a shower, I find you some fresh clothes, and then you can tell me… Whatever it is you want to. Curse like no tomorrow and all.” Josh said slowly and shrugged. He was mostly clueless. How could anyone know how to help anybody who had been through the hell that his sister had? The house had just about felt like hell itself.

Bek sniffed, and then took a deep breath and shot him a heavy glare, “I absolutely hate you.”

With those parting words, she headed off towards the shower.

Josh fought back his own tears, waited until he heard the shower start, and then he headed to his room. He quickly went through what clothes he had. A set of jeans that was too small for him, that he had never got around to throwing out.

A belt to help out with their differences in sizes. A small t-shirt, with some faded anime character on it. A catgirl with red eyes? He couldn’t remember exactly what that was from. Something with a cute name. Toofy or Bubbles? He couldn’t recall.

He didn’t have any bras from a conveniently absent girlfriend. He hadn’t had a girlfriend in a very long time. Most of his current life was spent in work, which he probably should be preparing for, if he thought about it.

He pulled out his phone and fired off a message to his boss. Just a text, that there was some family trauma, because he absolutely could not bring himself to have this conversation with anyone yet. Even if he wasn’t going to tell them the real extent of things.

He grabbed one of his hoodies to complete the look, giving a small smile as he remembered how Bek had used to pinch them. She loved being swamped in his top, sitting back on a couch, and watching something or another about combining science and magic on a VCR.

Magic was actually real.

Josh almost laughed at the thought that he had it. He was no wizard. No mastermind to stand and shout into the face of a storm to protect the poor villages. He wasn’t some advisor to a king, facing the perils of a world falling apart.

He spent most of his days in a freezing warehouse, or boiling if it was summer, packing plastic-wrapped cheap Internet crap into cheaper boxes. Moving like a little automaton, as fast as he could, just packing and pushing things out.

Yet… The witch was real.

Wizards must actually be a thing, and he didn’t see them on the news. They mustn’t be like Hollywood’s imaginings. They couldn’t be the ones to dance about, shouting spells and bringing down lightning, or else they would be noticed.

The magic world mustn’t be at war. They must just be trying to hide away in coffee shops, cubicles, and behind shop counters. He didn’t see any sane person with magic trying to become something like a cop.

Especially not if that brought them across Lily, the real protector.

Josh dumped the pile outside the bathroom and knocked on the door. “Clothes, here!”

He heard a bit of a surprised squeal, waited to hear the fall, but when he didn’t he moved off to the loungeroom. Not that he really had any idea what he was doing, or should be. Clothes were about as far along as he’d managed to think.

Miss Sunshine had sat there, all bright and smiles, in a blood-stained dress, like it was absolutely nothing. He wasn’t sure that she understood much of the world, but she had to understand that was off-putting… Didn’t she?

He pulled out his phone, and up the browser, and without really knowing where to start, typed in the demon’s real name. Sunshine was such a kind way to describe… A storm god?

One of the storm gods? Both Ginger and Lily had implied that though the god was called Ba’al, there was more than one of them. Though, they had sort of expected he’d understand that. Know who Ba’al was.

The name meant owner or lord. People had the title, before they started giving it to their gods. Not the other way around, for once. Josh did get the feeling that Ba’al was used to being in charge of everything. She was probably not coping that well with how humans kind of can’t change anything.

Most of our life is set by other people, and other events. We barely control a damn thing.

He couldn’t control how much his sister loved Rolph. The man was dead, but Josh was struggling to feel sad about it. An absolutely horrible thing to think, but about the only emotion he could feel was relief.

He had barely known the man. Most of his thoughts were second-hand, through his sister. Yet… Rolph hadn’t treated Bek like an equal. He had been master, and she, apprentice. Bek had thought it was amazing to be the honoured apprentice. Josh had been horrified.

He wasn’t comfortable that Ba’al called him master, either. He wasn’t interested in being anyone’s master. He wanted to be their equal. He wanted to be there for his sister, someone she could rely on, no matter the messed up crap she’d got them all dragged into.

Maybe that had been inevitable, with the both of them being magus or whatever. Though Lily had said magic was hard. Not everyone learnt it. Maybe it was like maths? Everyone knew a bit, but not a lot of people could actually pull off a bit of complexity in their head.

Josh’s phone buzzed, and he flicked the screen to answer the call, “Eh, hey, boss…”

“Don’t worry about a thing, Josh. To be frank, I was kind of surprised to get your text.” The man said quickly, in his hurried business tone, “I got notified this morning that you’re going onto a DVA pension. Can’t say I know what happened, but you have my sympathies.”

“DV… Veterans Affairs?” Josh asked in surprise.

“Yeah. They have notified you that it went through yet? Government never does have left hand talking to the right.” His boss said with frustration, “Well, I’ve signed your long service leave. So you’ve got four weeks to decide if you want to come back or not. Just take it easy.”

“Thanks.” He said, throat choking for a moment.

They rang off the call, and he was left reeling for a bit. It was nice to know that he was apparently going to get a pension usually reserved for family members of soldiers killed in their duties.

He wasn’t sure if that was Ba’al, which would make him feel infinitely guilty, and probably need to have a conversation about abusing magic, or it was the witches taking pity on him. The White Witch protecting him as a wizard.

“Pff! That was totally Lily.” Bek said, walking into the room and rubbing her hair with a towel. She was also stark naked, and mostly still dripping, leave wet marks behind in the carpet.

Josh averted his eyes, “So… Ba’al… I’m not sure if privacy was much of a thing since you were last around…”

“Oh, duh.” She snorted, “I just reckon this body is interesting, isn’t it? I could stand up beside one of those statues you keep in the park, and everyone would sculpt me. Bek and I, we’re… What’s the word she uses? Sexy. We’re sexy, aren’t we?”

“I’m her brother. I am never going to call her sexy.” He said, still looking away.

“Rolph called her sexy.” Ba’al said accusingly.

He looked up, to find her standing directly in front of him, and what he was about to say died on his tongue. He saw her soft breasts, smooth and round. The areolas around the nipples were small, but perfect little circles.

The nipples were entirely erect, sticking out more than a knuckle worth, puckered and pointed. As Josh drew his eyes upward, they couldn’t help but trace the valley, towards her smooth and sweet neck, to the beautiful hazel eyes that were watching him with glee.

“You’re mean.” He commented drily.

Ba’al snickered, before leaning forward and kissing his cheek, and then taking off with a skip in her step.

The image stayed in Josh’s head, as he tried to push it aside. To think about how he could help his sister adapt to her new chaos. But the image stayed.

---

The clothes had disappeared from the hall, and Bek had apparently taken Josh’s room. The door was closed, and he really did not want to go knocking on it.

Not when he didn’t know if it would be Bek or Ba’al that opened the door.

His first thought was to call up the witches and ask if there was any support group for people like him. He’d take either one for family members of the possessed, or abandoned mage children.

That thought was immediately followed by the feeling that both Ginger and Lily were run off their feet. It didn’t really seem like they had the space to deal with things in a sensible manner. The possible death of both his sister and himself with mismanaging Ba’al just seemed to be something they took in stride.

“So what’s the cocksucker doing?”

He looked over and smiled softly at his sister, “I s’pose we should get you some clothes that fit. Feel like shopping?”

“No.” Bek replied incredulously.

Josh shrugged, “Okay.”

“So… You’re what… Guardian angel-ing me? After telling to fuck myself?” She sneered, crossing her arms.

He winced, “Guess I am, yeah. I… I’d give you space for… All of this… But…”

“You reckon I’d let Ba’al fuck me, just like you.” Bek growled.

“Maybe?”

She sighed walked forward and dropping onto his lap. Ducking her head and hugging into his chest. Bek sniffled, “Good. I need a fucking fucked fucking fuck fuck angel right now.”

“Fuck’s a boring curseword. Got any others?” Josh held her delicately.

“Cocksucker.”

“Whatever. If I were gay, I don’t think anyone would mind anymore.”

Bek’s head hit his jaw as she snapped upright. “Ow. I’d mind.”

“Really? Being gay is… Not an issue.” Josh said in surprise, “There has been gay people -”

“Since Ba’al.” Bek rolled her eyes and poked a hard finger into his chest, “I was around to see the first sapient little monkey bugger it’s brother. That is not the problem with you being gay.”

Josh blinked, “Then what’s -”

“Nope.” Ba’al sniffed and then grinned, “You’re an Aram-sweating piece of chaff, though.”

He nodded, “More inventive. But… Did you just push Bek out of the way to tell me off for not getting why me being gay is an issue?”

“No, I let her out, because you’re fucking fucktard with fucking fucktella topping.” Bek glared.

“Huh.” Josh replied, feeling like the line between the two was getting uncomfortably blurry. Though, maybe that was one of the things the witches had been trying to warn him about.

The woman in front of him glared, “You’re such an idiot.”

He could almost swear it was both of them speaking.

The two of them shocked Josh by leaning in and kissing him. It wasn’t a peck on the cheek, like Ba’al had before, either. Bek had never much kissed him. She was all about the hugs for her big brother, but kissing on the cheek wasn’t something she did much of.

Even the few times that Bek had a boyfriend, like Rolph, she got too embarrassed to kiss in public. Going bright red and turning away, muttering something to her boyfriend and going shy.

Her lips, soft and willing, met his. Pushed into his mouth, joining the two of them. Her nose nestled along his, as her hands grabbed his shirt by the shoulders and twisted, pulling into him.

Josh sat there, dumbfounded.

Bek pulled back a little, tears in her eyes, “Fuck you.”

With that, she stormed out of the room, and he was left staring after his sister, even more confused than when he’d dragged her out of a hell dimension. Had that been Ba’al…? Was Bek blaming him for the kiss…? He didn’t have a clue.

---

Josh knocked gently on his bedroom door, “Bek…?”

“She’s crying. Son of Aram.”

He sighed heavily, “I… I’m going to grab us some lunch. Any idea what she would want? What you might want?”

The door opened a crack and hazel eyes glared out at him, “What wouldst thou with me? I am the Slave of Josh, and will obey thee in all things.”

He flinched, “Shit. I’ve really fucked things up this time, haven’t I? I love Bek. You’re not too bad, so far. Really. I just… Don’t know what to do.”

“Coulda kissed her back.” Ba’al rolled her eyes, and then opened the door, “No need to go anywhere for lunch though. Not unless you’re using it as an excuse to get away from us.”

“My kitchen isn’t exactly well stocked right now.”

Ba’al face-palmed loudly behind the door, “Seriously? Aladdin had me making silver plates out of thin air within five sarding minutes! What do I have to… Do I have to prove to you that I am djinn?”

“Uh… No, I just don’t think magic -”

“Magic can do a lot.” Ba’al interrupted, “But I am not just magic you petty human mortal. Master or not, your vision is too small, too weak, for someone as deserving as Bek. Her life has been hellspent, and she deserves to truly live.”

“I don’t disagree. I want the best for my sister.” Josh said to the door with concern.

Ba’al laughed, “Good. Then we agree.”

“Oh shit. What did I just agree -”

Josh was cut off as the world spun on its head. Ba’al remained standing on the carpeted floor, the door vanishing, as Josh found himself hitting the ceiling, and then the wall, before falling to the floor again and grazing his face on it.

As he raised his head, he found the rest of the room missing. They were standing on a tiny bit of carpeted flooring, ripped out and deposited into the centre of a wide and green park. Dew was dripping from the blades of grass, and the rain was just beginning to spit.

Ba’al spun around, and grinned back at him, “This is where we want to be. Somewhere with life, and laughter. Not your depressing room. A room unfit for bescumber.”

“I don’t want to know what that is, do I?”

She rolled her eyes and looked up at the sky, “So many worries. Such a little world. You just… Don’t get it yet!”

“I don’t think I want to. You know all stories about genies end badly, right? Wishes are dangerous.”

Ba’al’s face snapped down to his, “Dangerous? Of course they are. So is happiness. Fireworks and chocolate, and everything that we can eke some enjoyment out of, are dangerous. You imbibe alcohol and so many other things that are toxic. For fun.”

“You’re not reassuring me, or convincing me. It’s a no for wishes, for me.”

Ba’al glared at him, “Fine, Master. I will do as you say, Master.”

“Please don’t call me that.”

“As you command, my lord.” Ba’al growled.

He flinched, “Bek’s really going to kill me if you keep this up.”

“That’s not why she wishes you dead, my lord.” The woman laughed brightly, “Miss Sunshine is why. You called me that.”

“Yeah…”

The god crossed their arms, “That was your name for her, wasn’t it? When you were kids. She was your Miss Sunshine, even when all the group homes failed and kicked you out. Too tiring to deal with you. To exhausting to have her.”

“Please don’t.”

“As you command, my lord.”

He sighed and rubbed his face, “Fine. What exactly did you want to show me?”

“Possibility!” She bounced excitedly, causing some of the nearby people to look at the odd couple by the piece of junk on the ground.

“Possi-” He didn’t get to finish his question.

Ba’al flung a hand towards the sky, “Thunder and lightning, very very frightening!”

Thunder boomed as sheet lightning crackled across the sky. Shaking Josh’s chest as the grey clouds above were suddenly black and blocking out the sun. Ba’al giggled at his response, throwing out a hand to the ground beside him.

Green stems burst out of the ground in a circle around him, rising up suddenly and violently before bursting out into yellow sunflowers with a scattering of pollen and dust.

The woman danced around him in a circle, humming to herself, circling twice, as Josh tried to work out how to breathe in the pollen. Ba’al skidded to a stop in front of him and spread her hands.

“You’re so worried about money, my little numpty.” She giggled, as hundred dollar bills were suddenly floating away from her hands in the wind. A cloud of money pouring out and causing the bystanders to scramble for it.

She giggled, and pointed a finger into Josh’s chest, “So worried about how you’ll provide for us. Too scared that you’re losing your sister to me. I couldn’t do any of this, if it wasn’t what she wanted. I am yours, my lord. Entirely, totally. In every sense of it.”

“That’s… Impressive. What you can do.”

Ba’al’s face dropped, “Don’t patronise me, my lord. I am not a magician. I am no charlatan that claims to understand the ethereal. I existed before your world, and I will live long after it is destroyed. I am not a fool wasting time to find his art and money to guide him along the way to a new life.”

“Bek’s… Immortal…? Now?”

“Yes.” Ba’al rolled her eyes, “Yourself, too, as she desires it. You really are a numpty.”

He made a face, “Dunno if I want to live forever.”

“You… Dream… So… Small!” Ba’al snarled, and the now-familiar gutwrenching feeling hit him. Josh tumbled head over heels, before crashing into what felt like soft and fine sand.

He coughed out the dust, and sat up bleakly, glaring at the god who felt no need to ask before acting out.

She smirked at him, “Immortality doesn’t feel so terrible a weight now, does it, my lord?”

The sand was grey, and seemed to reflect the light. Glaring up into his face as he staggered upright, before staring at the expanse of hills and craters. He looked up slowly to see the orb of green and blue floating in the sky in front of him.

Bek giggled at his expression, “You always did suck at surprises, didn’t you? I remember that time I stuck a balloon in your present. You cursed me out for days.”

“There was a pin attached to a cord on the lid.” Josh remembered darkly, and then frowned, “So… Taking me to the motherfucking moon… You’re okay with that?”

She blinked, “I… I don’t hate Ba’al, Josh. I mean, I do hate how it happened. I was not really expecting sex to give me a second personality. All the same, she’s me. I’m her.”

“You were a witch.”

Bek winced, “Yeah, gonna blame that one on Mum. Speaking of… Ba’al can give them to us. Our parents.”

“I know you want to know, but I don’t. I never wanted to know.” Josh set his jaw, “They abandoned us, so they can fuck off, as far as I’m concerned. I’m not interested.”

She looked at him sadly, fighting back tears, “You abandoned me.”

“You told me to! You hurt me, Bek.”

She stepped forward and slapped him, the sound echoing around and around the strange surface they were on. She crossed her arms, “I want to go home, now, Ba’al. Leave this dick here, alone, where he belongs.”

Her voice switched to a slightly nervous, but perkier, one, “Can’t.”

“He’s not my fucking master! Only yours. I wanna go home.”

“I cannot leave my lord, where harm may possibly come to him.”

“You made him immortal didn’t you?” Bek sounded exasperated as she argued with herself, “Not going to hurt, so let’s fuck off!”

“The mind is a precious thing. I know your kind are only just beginning to comprehend the possibilities, but you are a primitive species. The mind is delicate, and beautiful. Capable of so much.” Ba’al implored, “His mind will come to harm, if he is abandoned, let alone in this place, so far from his own.”

Bek stared in shock at Josh, “I can’t leave him. I can’t leave my brother!? I am tied to the bastard who left me in a motherfucking cult, just because the god they tried to call is actually fucking real!?”

“It’s better than being in a serdeish ring.”

As she said it, Josh was left rubbing his eyes. His sister vanished, apparently winning the argument with the demon. He did have to wonder if Ba’al was arguing out loud, for his benefit.

He didn’t understand the rules of the threeway relationship, not yet. Two souls, one body. That was one thing, but the line between the souls wasn’t clear. They remembered what each other did. The more Bek recovered, the more Ba’al seemed to not mind him.

He did know that he felt like he was breathing. His chest rising and falling. Not feeling like he was suffocating. That implied that Ba’al had done something when she’d brought him to the moon. Left him on the moon for offending his sister.

Bek was right, of course.

He had abandoned her. He had let her telling him to go away be an end of things. He hadn’t argued with her, or tried to make her talk about it. He’d let his exhaustion get to him, and walked away.

There was a small part of him that hadn’t wanted to pick up the phone, when she called. A part of him that knew he hadn’t tried to call her, before then. Because he had wanted to be free of her drama and intrigue.

As close as they had once been, that was gone. She wasn’t the girl to walk out a door and instantly know where he was. Probably by magic, thinking on it. He wasn’t the boy that knew she’d find him, every time that they sent him on his way.

If he was still the same, he would have looked to the Earth, known she was safe, and that would be an end of it.

He wasn’t that, anymore.

Josh sighed sadly, “You’re going to hate me for this, Bek. But… Ba’al… I command you to -”

“Please, don’t. She’s crying.” A voice whispered in his ear.

He waved at the annoying buzz, and glared around for a moment, before sitting down. “Fine. Ten minutes. That’s all I’m giving you.”

“Her. You’re doing it for her.” Ba’al whispered with disappointment.

He hesitated, and then smiled, “If I do command it, instead of you just coming back of your own, will that make up for it?”

“No. I don’t like being commanded.” Ba’al replied with a tone that he was absolutely certain was her lying. Which was curious, considering how good at deceit a million year old demon should be.

“Million? I’m not that young, numpty.”

Josh looked around himself, and let his serious façade drop for a moment. He was actually on the moon. Or hallucinating. If this whole adventure was a hallucination would be more believable than the alternative.

All the same, he wasn’t going to waste this opportunity. Time to see just how close to an inventor and a dog on the moon he could get.

The first jump felt odd. As he continued upwards, the sense of vertigo bore down on him. A feeling of instability that almost made him fall over even as he was still moving skywards.

He almost wished for a knife, even though he was pretty sure that regolith tasted nothing like cheese.

“You’re… Enjoying this!?”

He turned to see his sister. Or who he had expected to be his sister. Instead he saw Bek standing there, seething with rage, as black clouds rolled around her ankles, thunder rolling out as lightning cracked the lunar air.

“You did leave me on the moon. I think. Is it the actual moon?”

Bek hesitated for a moment, lightning sparking across her palms and dancing between her fingers, before bursting out laughing. “Fuck. Of course you’d find it fun.”

“Sorry. I know you’re mad at me.” He shrugged weakly.

The clouds cleared and his sister strode across the rockface, looking at him undecidedly. “You… Do get why, right? You know you deserve it. Me being angry at you.”

“I screwed up, yeah.”

Bek shook her head, “No. No, screwing up is buying the wrong soft drink. Screwing up is forgetting to pay the bills. Its forgetting what you said you would do. You didn’t screw up.”

He winced, waiting.

“You fucked our relationship to death without a condom. You left me with a cult, to die. You stopped caring.” Bek’s voice was quiet as she spoke, barely above a whisper. There was no more anger in her words, despite the heaviness of the accusation.

All that was left to her tone was the hurt that she was feeling.

Josh didn’t have any answer for her. There were no words. He had done what she was saying. He’d let his own stresses of life outweigh the bond that they’d always had.

Whilst she was desperate and hurting, trying to understand herself, he’d given up and let her find the worst path in things.

He reached out and touched her cheek, cupping the side of her face, as tears welled up in his eyes. “I’m… Sorry.”

“Shit dude.” She rolled her eyes and knocked his arm aside, “I have to actually abuse the power of my demon, before you can actually apologise? You’ve said sorry a half dozen times to Ba’al. You’ve said it to me twice.”

“Yes, I’m a fuck up.” Josh snapped in frustration, “I… Do things! I try and do things. Right now, what I am trying, is giving up my whole life to try and see you through, Bek. Everything. That’s what I’ll give up for you, what I am giving up for you. Just… Help me? Please?”

She stared at him incredulously, and then a smirk grew slowly in place, “Everything, eh? I suppose there is some truth in that.”

“Oh crap. I made her run, did I?”

Ba’al laughed, “Don’t worry about that. You said you were giving up everything for her.”

“Have you not met me? Hi, I’m Josh. I always worry about Bek. I just hurt her, didn’t I?”

The demon shrugged, and then began circling him, “Truth does hurt, my lord. Just about always. It was the truth that set me free, last time I was bound. The truth that he had abused his position, and lost all the good fortunes I’d sent his way.”

“Yeah, pretty sure Lily would kill me if I ever considered freeing you.” Josh replied drily.

Ba’al grinned, “The White Witch? So very terrifying to you, isn’t she? But she can’t hurt you. Not anymore. The witch could be gone, vanished, forgotten. It’d take little more than a snap of my fingers. You could be free, if you wished it.”

“I am not using you for wishes, Ba’al. Get over it. All I care about is Bek.”

The woman grinned, “Exactly! Think on all the promises you’ve made. The ones you’ve broken. I can fix it. You said you’d give her a better life. One is right here, staring you in the face. Just… Take my hand. Her hand.”

He couldn’t lie that it was tempting. The woman could summon money out of thin air. She might even be able to make the regular government bureaucracy vanish.

There was a chance here. To not just give Bek a better life, but to give her one where she’d never feel the need to run away again. He could finally protect her.

“Bek’s choice. Not mine.” Josh hesitated.

The woman gave a small laugh, reaching out and squeezing his hand. “We’ve already told you. More than once, moron. We’re in this together. So… You going to follow up on your promises, for the first time in your life?”

He did not like the influence Ba’al had on his sister. Hardly surprising, considering that they were an ancient entity associated with evil and chaos, that had been feared since mankind had first existed.

She had taken his hand, though. He was the one in control, no matter how much he wanted to deny it. He was her master. That was what the witch had decided in that bleak moment, when Bek was burnt and dying, only halfway still in the world.

He’d been the one to grab her hand, back then.

“Ah… Fuck it.” Josh gave in, “Bek. I’m your screw up. What do you want?”

She smiled at him, “Right now, I’d settle for having you back. The real you. Not this grand defender shtick you’ve adopted the last few years. That’s just infuriating. I need my brother, not another parent to disappoint me.”

“I just…”

Bek put a finger to his lips, “No shit, Sherlock. I know you care, Josh. I’m not trying to get rid of you, am I? I mean, you can actually command a piece of me. That’s totally fucked up. We can never be equals again. But I ain’t looking for a way to disappear, am I?”

“It is kinda fucked, isn’t it?” Josh winced.

Bek shrugged, “I dunno. I have always had a thing for guys with power.”

He facepalmed, “Aw, bloody hell. I barely get you back, and already with the sex jokes?”

“Yes. Yes, many, many sex jokes.” Bek said flatly, “Josh… Last time I screwed someone, I ended up with a demon in me. That’s sorta traumatising. I wanna take it back. So I’m going to make all the jokes I wanna.”

“Not arguing. But do you have to do it with me…?”

She laughed and punched his arm gently, “‘Course. You’re my big idiot, ain’t ya? Now… About what I want… I don’t really like the moon. I thought I would. But it’s… Boring? And feels weird. Pressure-like?”

“Feels like you shouldn’t be able to breathe.” Josh agreed.

Bek shrugged, “So… Can we go home? Ba’al’s gonna make you order her. She’s being pissy.”

“What did I do to annoy her, this time?” He groaned.

She rolled her eyes, “She asked for a wish. Duh. You didn’t fall for the obvious genie trap.”

“Nearly did.” He admitted.

Bek grinned and interlaced her fingers with his, squeezing his hand, “‘Course you did. You’re my big fucking idiot, ain’t you? I mean, who can really resist the temptation of real actual magic?”

“You actually are a witch. Some of your magic spells might have been real.”

She frowned, “Mmm… Nah. Not before I got Ba’al. I’m picking up a bit of her magic. Her knowhow. She knows a shit ton, so it’s taking time to process, but… Nah. Nothing I did was real magic. Not until the… You know…”

“I’m sorry about Rolph.” Josh whispered.

Bek snorted, “No, you’re not. But thanks anyways. Shit, you’re still awful at lying. And to be honest… Rolph was an idiot. I miss him. But he played with stuff he didn’t understand.”

“Lily knew his name. That’s gotta count for something.”

She frowned, “The White Witch? Huh. Actually, yeah. I think I remember her… She got all pissy with Rolph one day, and cut down an apple tree he’d nicked from somewhere.”

“He stole… An apple tree?”

Bek nodded, “Yeah. ‘Course. It had something magic about it, or some shit. Considering the White Witch came bitching, I’d say he guessed right. Reckon it was from… Iraq? Iran? Something like that.”

He lifted her hand with his, and kissed the back of it, “It’s… Nice to have you back.”

“Down, tiger.” She grinned at him, and then made a cat purr that was far too realistic. Just like she used to.

Josh chuckled, and then an idea sparked into his mind and he grinned, “Bek, mind if I talk to Ba’al for a minute?”

“She’s sulking, but go ahead. We can both hear. Always.”

He grinned broader, “So… I’m sorry… But I’m going to… Command you? I command you, Ba’al, to… Take us.”

“As my lord commands.” A bitter voice came from his sister’s mouth.

“To France.”

Ba’al’s eyes lit up and she grinned, before throwing her hand into the sky. A thunderous boom made Josh duck as it rippled right through him, vibrating with a shockwave that made the whole world waver.

The ground rippled, tossing up and down. If he hadn’t been holding Ba’al’s hand, Josh would have ended up on his face. Her hand was firm and steady, keeping him steady through the destructive force.

He went to comment, and then stared around them, “Wait… You can transport without the stomach nonsense?”

“Of course. But it’s not as fun.” Ba’al snickered. “I could make it less than a dream. But a little noise is worth the fun.”

They were standing in a park, and towering overhead was the Eiffel Tower. Josh had never been to France. Never left his home country before. Neither he nor Bek had ever escaped, but she’d always talked of Paris.

Mostly about the food.

Josh grinned at his sister, “So… How about we find the nearest place that sells croissants?”

“Yes! Yes!” Bek shouted, jumping up and hugging around his neck, spinning for a moment and kissing him before landing and rushing off without a second thought.

Josh followed along behind slowly. Bek needed her freedom, now more than ever. He actually could command the demon. He wasn’t sure how comfortable he was with that. At least this wish seemed to be one that didn’t irritate Ba’al.

His decision to take his time almost immediately backfired.

“I am a god, mortals! I will not wait upon the line!”

Josh blinked as he saw an entire crowd shoved to two sides. Everyone falling over and hitting the ground as his sister stood there, seething. She walked up to the glass doors and entered the small cafe.

He pulled out his phone to call Ginger for advice, only to see no signal. Shouldn’t have surprised him. Wasn’t like he was paying for international roaming.

Josh apologised to everyone has he walked by them quickly. “Je suis désolé. Désolé. C’est son heure. Désolé.”

He wasn’t sure if it was right. To be honest, his French was about as extensive as the encyclopedia written by a primary schooler roleplaying a librarian in a world of dragons.

He pushed open the door to find Bek sitting at a table by herself, her entire face flushed and happy, as she dipped scraps of a torn croissant into French onion soup whilst the owners looked on in horror.

She waved at him, “Josh! You have to try this! It’s the best!”

“Aha. And the psycho moment by the demon outside…?”

“Cette femme est un démon!” One of the owners said angrily, pointing an accusing finger.

Bek’s face dropped, and she snarled right back, “Daemon sum, et te necabo nisi inclusum!”

“That… That wasn’t French, was it?” Josh said as he sat down at the table, trying to reassure the two people who were now his sister.

Ba’al glared at him, “I don’t speak French. Adieu.”

“Désolé.” He said to the two people glaring at them and clearly wanting them to leave the restaurant. “Elle est ma… Elle… Uh… Sorry, my French is awful.”

“Oui. Ça l’est.”

Ba’al let out a small giggle, “So very rude. So very intimidating.”

“If it’s not intimidating, then where is Bek? Embarrassed enough by you, yet?” Josh raised an eyebrow.

His sister flushed and nibbled on her food, “Shuddup.”

“Bek… I do want you to enjoy this. We’ve never been to France. Never to Paris. Being here is a dream come true.”

She sighed, “But we can’t be rude lil tourists, even if I’m now as powerful as the fucking sun.”

“Pretty much. Give or take some arrogance.”

She looked up at him with a frown, “That… That wasn’t arrogance, Josh. I really am. I could black out the sun and kill the planet while I’m peeing. It’s not an effort. That’s just me, now.”

“That’s not terrifying at all.”

Bek shrugged, “It’s what it is. Do I need to remind you that you’re the reason this happened to me? Sure, death was the alternative, but it’s what it is.”

“Des sorcières géantes et foutues!” One of the owners shouted, and the two of them adjourned to the back of the cafe.

Josh blinked, “Huh. I think they’ve met witches before. That’s weird.”

“Witches and France go together. Did you forget the Witch Trials?” Bek pointed out.

He shrugged, “I’m not the one who was obsessed with magic. I only knew enough about that stuff to tease my little sister about it.”

“Not so little. Been an adult for a while. You just haven’t noticed.” Bek said with a growl, and then shrugged, “The French butchered a whole shitload of people back in the 1600s. Witch hunts. That’s where we get the idea from. Whole world went mad for wiping out all magic.”

“That sucks.”

“Mostly an excuse for racism, spousal abuse, and all the other usual fucked up shit.” Bek shrugged, “But… Uhm… Ba’al says it was because…”

“Aha?”

She sighed, “Because the Witch Witch died. There was no one to watch out for everyone. So a few bigger incidents happened, which set off the oversensitive societies and they fucking murdered everyone.”

“Lily’s job must suck.” Josh agreed, “Can’t say your exorcism was a fun thing to go to.”

“Even if you didn’t exorcise her?” Bek glared.

He shrugged, “Hey now, it was my first time! Besides, I didn’t know we were magic.”

“Could have, if you paid any fucking attention to anything I ever say or do.” Bek said with frustration, “Sorry but… There is a lot of stuff I’ve given up with you, Josh. Ba’al is pushing me to try again, but you’re fucking blind.”

“Like what…?”

She blinked, “Good god. You haven’t noticed what she’s been doing since you got me back? Fuuuuck. How blind can you get, Josh?”

“Don’t do that.” He sighed and rubbed the top of his nose, “Just… Tell me. You can do that, Bek. I’ll never judge.”

“Like fuck you won’t.” She laughed in surprise, “I mean, yeah. You’re a decent big brother. But this wish of mine, that Ba’al wants to fulfill? You’d judge. Guarantee it. You would hate me. So I don’t want to tell you. Ever.”

“Ever?” Josh said in surprise, “Hey now, aren’t I meant to be the one who is crap at communicating? Since when did you start keeping secrets?”

Bek stopped eating, lowering her hands slowly, “Josh… Ooh. I don’t want to say even this much. Eh… Uhm… How do I…? I’ve had this secret a while. A very long while. Like… Since we were kids, while. Forever.”

“Wait, the girl who talks to everyone like she’s on a truth serum, has a secret?” He stared.

Bek grinned, “Actually, there’s a whole bunch of truth serums. They work to varying degrees. The alchemy and stuff is really fascinating. They’re not even magic! Just the right chemicals to prompt the brain to talk without shutting up. Eventually, truth comes out.”

“Sounds like you’d have to wade a lot of bullshit, first.” Josh shrugged.

She nodded, “Yup. That’s more the reason we don’t use them. Why force the spy to let loose with some epic adventure tale, when you can just consult their phone to see everywhere they’ve been?”

“Modern technology sucks.”

Bek grinned, “Yeah. It actually does. Ba’al reckons it’s primitive shit. Compared to her magic.”

“Quantum physics seems primitive compared to the magic of a demon older than the universe.” Josh deadpanned.

She blushed, looking down, “Ba’al… She… She likes it when you say stuff like that.”

“She also usually tells me. Why is she getting you to speak for her, Bek? You two have a fight or something?”

She shook her head, smiling sadly, “No… More… She wants me to say something. Is going to try and be annoying until I do. But I’m not going to. Got it? I’m not.”

“Can’t say I mind. Nice not to have to guess which of you is at the steering wheel.” Josh shrugged and picked up a piece of her croissant.

The pastry exploded in his hand, chips flying into the surface of the table, and bursting upwards to cut his hand. He yanked it back, staring at the paper cuts and then up at Bek, “The fuck, Ba’al!?”

“She…” Bek swallowed, “She says it’s mine. To get your own.”

Josh shook his head, “Great. Detonating bread. Just what the world needed to invent.”

Bek rolled her eyes, “It isn’t bread.”

“Baked good.” Josh rolled his own.

She winced and stared at the table, tears welling up in her eyes, “Josh… Don’t hate me… But… I…”

“Ba’al, let’s go home.”

---

Bek crashed on the bed, mostly crying. Josh pulled the blanket over her, and tucked it in tightly like he used to. Kissed her forehead, and headed back to the kitchen.

He stared at the red-haired woman sipping at a rum or whisky, sitting on his bench.

She grinned broadly at him, “So how were France, then? That where ya just got back from, yeah?”

“Oh. You must be Ginger.” Josh relaxed a little, heading by to get himself a glass of water. “I kinda… Stopped by the moon? First. Bek’s still sorting out how she feels about things. Ba’al… I think… I think she wants to do magic? Like craving it or something?”

“God o’ destruction. Yeah, she wanna wreck it, Felix.” Ginger shrugged, “Technically, I off duty, ‘n all. Just came to check how ya handlin’. Me own girlfriend is a shapeshiftin’ alien. Took me a fuckin’ long time to come o’ terms with that.”

Josh nearly tripped, and spilt water everywhere. He sighed as he grabbed a handtowel. “Of course aliens are real, too.”

“I were as surprised as ya.” Ginger laughed, “Fan is a crazy sorta gal, too. She ‘n Ryker… Well, I ain’t shocked that Lils has forbidden me from bringing her over ‘n all.”

“Your alien girlfriend… Tried to cheat on you? And you’re not mad?”

Ginger shook her head and sipped her drink, “Nah. A lil jealous, sure. But Fan don’t got no exclusivity thing. Ain’t a thing on her planet.”

“And you believed her when she dropped that line?” He picked up his drink.

“Not til she dumped me there.” Ginger snickered, “Oh, that was nuts. I had a dinner wit’ her parents, whilst she was off doin’ fuck knows. She didn’t wanna see ’em, but thought they deserved to know I was a thing for ‘er.”

“Parents suggests exclusivity.” Josh replied teasingly.

Ginger sighed, “Yeah, whatevs. Biology shit. Her entire planet is obsessed wit’ it. Actually fuckin’ sucks for Fan. She’s not biologically perfect. So she’s banned from talkin’ to people who matter. Not just celebs. Cops ‘n shit, too. Can’t report crimes. Nothin’.”

“Okay, that’s fucked up.” He stared.

The witch shrugged, “Exactly. So… She’s stuck in me bedroom, most nights. At least I can try ‘n give her somet’in’ better.”

“Well. Totally fucked up. Uhm… What were we talking about?”

Ginger yawned, and stretched, “How ya handlin’ Ba’al? She’s a right handful, if even half of what Wyrrdin shits outta his mouth is true.”

“I don’t think I even want to know who that is… She’s… Fine. I think.”

The witch frowned, “Sent you to the moon. You commanded her and completed the bond. I ain’t sayin’ ya a liar but… I don’t like it when people lie.”

Josh sighed, “Okay. Let me restate it. I think she’s fine with me. Not a worry for the witch’s council of whatever.”

“Lol. Nah, Lils is the only one in charge of us ‘n our shit.” Ginger shook her head, “She mostly makes sure we don’t break dimensional walls ‘n stuff. She kinda wants to hang wit’ Ryker, but it’s been… Busy.”

“Ba’al isn’t the worst thing to happen?”

Ginger shrugged, “A pissin’ god, alien shapeshifter, zombie, a ghost… Oh, the werewolves ‘n vampires are preppin’ for war. So that ain’t fun neither. Lotta crap be happenin’, but that be normal when ya the White Witch. All the bad shit comes out when ya around.”

“Holy crap, all that is real…?”

“Mmm.” Ginger put down her glass, flourishing her hand to reveal a lit candle on the bench, “Ya should let this burn down, too. Ba’al probably hate it, but ya got some joyeaters ’round the place. This’ll make ’em skedaddle.”

“Joyeater? There’s a descriptive name.”

She shrugged, “Pixies. Feed on ya happy. Most houses get one or two of ’em. Wizards ‘n witches attract ’em more. But most of us get the trainin’ to know how to get rid o’ them. Just a bit of cinnamon ‘n sea salt.”

Josh sucked in his breath, “On that front… Uh…”

“Ya parents.” Ginger nodded grimly, “Well, I weren’t surprised why the file was sealed ‘n all. Ya wanted it for Bek, yeah? Well… It’s gonna make her cry. And piss her off, too.”

He frowned, “Were you reading my mind, or did we actually discuss getting it?”

“Ya adopted. ‘Course one of ya wants to know what happened. ‘Specially since ya magic.” Ginger said reassuringly, before dropping the bombshell, “But mindreading is kinda the first spell any of us learn. It’s fuckin’ easy.”

“Bek can read my mind, then. She’s learning Ba’al’s magic.” Josh winced.

Ginger snickered, “Well, if it gets to ya, just promise to learn to read her mind, too. Gal’s got secrets.”

“She did mention a secret. That she didn’t want anyone to know. So try not to piss off Ba’al by learning it.” Josh cautioned.

“Too late.” Ginger shrugged, “‘Sides, Ba’al ‘n me get along famous. I summoned her a couple times. Mostly when I wanna fuck wit’ me exes. They love that shit.”

“Wait. Summoning a demon isn’t evil magic and terrifying…?”

Ginger rolled her eyes, “Ain’t no good nor evil in this world. Only people. We’re plenty capable o’ both. But… I should go. Ya gal wants ya attention.”

“Wha -” She was gone before Josh could finish the thought.

With the hint clear, Josh left the candle on the kitchen bench and walked over to his bedroom door and gave a soft knock at it. He didn’t want to wake Bek, even if Ginger had told him to check in on her. Witches were human, and could get things wrong.

At first he didn’t hear anything. Yet, just as he was about to knock a second time, Josh heard it. He heard a heartbreaking sound coming out from behind the door.

Bek let out the smallest of whimpers, a tiny breathless gasp.

He opened the door gently, looking around the corner as it swung inwards. Whispering to the air, “Bek, are you oka…”

The words died on his tongue as he found his sister wasn’t crying. She wasn’t asleep, and it wasn’t a nightmare.

What he found instead, was Bek lying on her back, her head pushing down into the pillow as her back arched upwards, her gut sucked in with effort. Her face was bright red, as her fingers flicked back and forth, her knees spread wide.

Josh stared, too scared to run in case she noticed.

Bek bit the corner of her lip, her breathing changing. Her nose flared as she breathed quick little bouts, her fingers slowing before dipping into herself. He could hear the wetness even from where he was.

She let out a tiny grunt, and then there was a rush of sound, and Josh stared as he learnt that his sister was a squirter. Between her heels was instantly soaked.

In the same moment though, Josh immediately realised he’d made an even worse mistake than just stumbling onto her private moment. Sparks lanced through the air, popping and sparkling out from between Bek’s legs.

The smell of sulphur filled the air, and he could just about hear Bek’s screams from when he and Lily had saved her. The fire was surrounding him, in his head, even if he was fine in the moment.

Bek whispered quietly to herself, “Is… Is that… Enough?”

“For a charm? It’ll do.” Ba’al answered, yawning and sitting up. The demon rubbed the cum between her fingers, before breathing onto it softly.

A purple flame surrounded the fingertips for a moment before evaporating. As it did, Josh’s head swam, and he felt himself calming down. His heart slowing. He stared, not quite understanding.

Ba’al looked up at him and snickered, “Enjoy the show?”

Bek winced, “Please don’t be mad at me.”

“I… You did something to me.” Josh blinked, “I… Don’t think I can be mad.”

Bek rubbed the back of her head, “Yeah… I… Did. I can’t hurt you! Ba’al can’t hurt you. It’s just… I… I don’t want you to be mad at me. I know I’m a fuck up, Josh. I’ve fucked everything we’ve had and… I… I just want you. Back.”

He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at his naked sister’s face, “I still love you. You know that, right? I love you, Bek.”

“I… I love you.” She whispered back.

Ba’al yawned, “Me too. If you’re interested, my lord.”

“So… Sex magic.” He hesitated, “Lily mentioned something about that. Cum is better than blood.”

Bek laughed, “Josh! You would go there, wouldn’t you? I… I only did it because I want to learn. Ba’al could do it without. I wanted to do the spell. Because it was… You.”

“I can’t get mad.” He shrugged.

She sighed and scooted closer to him, leaning her head onto his shoulder, “I mean it, Josh. I don’t know how to handle this. How to handle you. Us. I feel like… I’ve lost something. Never wanted to be without you. Now I can’t. Yet, it feels… Bad?”

“Onto something else bad…” He winced, “Ginger came by.”

“She found our adoption file.” Bek sat up and swallowed nervously, “I… I already know.”

“Mind reading thing?”

Bek laughed and shook her head, “No. I can’t read your mind yet, Josh. It’s a right whirlwind in there. Especially after seeing me… You know…”

“Do you have to bring that up?” He groaned.

“Just… Trying to make light.” Bek swallowed, and took a deep breath, “Ba’al?”

Her face changed and she held out a hand, a green cardboard file in it. “This is your parents. It wasn’t their fault, my lord. I mean that. What happened wasn’t fair to anyone.”

“Orphan?” He asked dubiously, not touching the thing that Ginger had tried to warn him about.

Ba’al sighed and nodded, “Yeah. Bek already knows, my lord. She wants your sympathy. So just give in, and be the big brother she needs, instead of the exhausted man who isn’t sure what dè fo shealbh is happening.”

“You’re saying lord a lot more than you said master.” He commented offhand as he took the file and opened it with more than a little trepidation.

“Well, you’re not getting it. I am yours. Your god.” Ba’al said angrily.

He turned the pages over, eyes scanning the words in disbelief. “I… Don’t believe in gods…”

“I am one. Always have been, since before there was a before!” Ba’al snapped. “I could bring them back. All it would take, is one wish, from you. My lord.”

He blinked and turned his head slowly, “My… My parents… Were murdered. And now… You can…”

“Resurrection of a mortal? Piss easy since Yeshoshua kicked the walls down.” Ba’al shrugged. “Just… Make… The… Wish.”

“B-bek…?”

His sister’s face came into view, and she sniffled. “Please.”

“Save them, Ba’al.” Josh replied.

Ba’al’s eyes lit up and she bounced to her feet, twirling in her nakedness for a second, before frowning. She skipped over to him and grinned, “Just going to borrow a little magic here.”

She leaned in and kissed him. Soft lips touching his. Merging and pushing in, going from gentle to something hungry, almost immediately. Her hands went behind his head, and her tongue touched the outline of his teeth.

Ba’al giggled as she breathlessly pulled back, “Aram! Now that is fire. Let’s see what I can do…”

Josh fell backwards off the bed as there was a burst of flames. The floor of the bedroom scorched black as the archway of fire stretched up out of the ground in front of Ba’al.

The blonde stretched her arms at the elbows and then punched forward roughly. The entire room filled with screaming as a doorway inside the arch appeared. The lock shook and squealed, fighting back.

Ba’al planted her feet, and shoved her naked shoulder into the door. The half-broken lock jerked and juddered, before suddenly giving in. Josh’s hands went to his ears as the screams instantly became overwhelming.

Voices screaming out in agony, flooding over him in endless screams.

Ba’al walked through the doorway casually, putting her hands behind her head. The naked woman almost instantly disappearing into some kind of fog on the other side of the archway.

Josh stared, eyes watering from the noise.

He didn’t know how long he waited there, but he was beyond coping with the tortured sounds, when Ba’al suddenly reappeared. The blonde-haired woman grinning triumphantly, arms around two other people as she stepped back into the bedroom.

Both the newcomers fell to their knees, coughing smoke and ash, as Ba’al gave a yawn and clapped her hands twice. The flames dropped back into the floor, and the screams were immediately cut off, leaving Josh’s ears ringing.

“May I present Mr. and Mrs. Kurby, my lord.” Ba’al grinned.

Her face changed, staring wide-eyed, and Bek whispered, “Holy motherfuck… She actually did it. Fuck, fuck! I was just in hell or… Fuuuuck.”

Josh laughed nervously, “M-mum? Dad?”

The man looked up slowly. He was middle-aged, and dressed in a suit. It was torn all over, and was stained in more than a few places. The knife marks from his death were still visible. Still in the positions that had been marked in the photos from the file.

The murdered man looked at Josh in confusion, before his eyes widened slowly, “Christ! Did you just do a resurrection, son? Fuck sake! Has no one taught you the rules of magic? Where’s the White Witch when you need her?”

“Sleeping.” Bek whispered.

Their mother looked up at her, “Oh, Rebecca. Oh, you’ve grown up beautiful.”

“M-mum…”

Josh swallowed, “So… Obviously you two are definitely magic. Recognising resurrection and all.”

His father’s head snapped back to him, “Joshua?”

He stood up shakily, “Got a lot to fill you in on. So uh… I need a coffee. Anyone else?”

---

The most awkward parts of the conversation were saved from Josh. Ginger arrived, looking hurried and out of things. The redhead gave more than a few glares at Ba’al.

John Kurby and his wife, Elizabeth, were murdered shortly after Bek had been born. The two of them were investigators, working for the White Witch. They’d discovered that someone had resurrected an ancient vampire, and had been closing in on the irresponsible wizard, when the man had killed them.

Neither of them were particular pleased to discover that Bek was now possessed by the soul of an ancient nightmare god. However, as that had led to their resurrection, they didn’t say much.

Bek cried a lot, and hugged them. Ba’al grinned from ear to ear and kept trying to get anyone and everyone to thank her.

Ginger facilitated things, and then near the end sighed, “Well, I reckonin’ that ya need a bit o’ teaching, Josh. Considering the fuckall of this.”

“Learn… Magic? Or not to ever make another wish?” He asked nervously.

The redhead smiled and shook her head, “Nah, ya fine. Everyone get why ya did what ya did. ‘Sides, Ba’al ain’t a witch or wizard. She a god. She know what she doin’, when she break through the walls. Ain’t endin’ things.”

“I know the safe ways.” Ba’al grinned proudly.

“And ya ain’t fuckin doin’ it again, right?” Ginger snapped.

Ba’al sneered, “You’re not my master, mortal. So… How would Bek say it… Fuck off!”

Ginger slapped her, hard.

Bek glared up at her, “Oi! That’s my motherfucking face, too! Back the fuck off, or I’ll make a fucking wish, you bitch of a witch!”

“Everyone calm down.” Josh commanded, putting a hand down on the table.

Ginger crossed her arms, “Keep ’em in check, Bek, or ya won’t be dealin’ me. Y’all will be facin’ Lily. She ain’t as nice as me. Ain’t patient. And ya won’t be the first god she killed, Ba’al.”

“Someone has been killing gods?” John asked in horrified awe.

“Lils is the White Witch. Not just title, neither. The real deal.” Ginger informed him.

Ba’al smiled slowly, “I have a better idea. Instead of threatening me, why don’t you go and fetch Wyrrdin for my master, little witch? Master should learn from the best.”

Elizabeth coughed, “He’s still alive?”

“I know about the affair.” John sighed, “Always did.”

Josh and Bek stared at their parents.

“It was the only way I could get his help on the joyeater suicide.” Elizabeth winced, “We wouldn’t have solved it without him! And… I wouldn’t call it an affair.”

“More than once.” John replied flatly.

Elizabeth nodded, “Yes, once before, and once after. I know it was a failing on my part. I know I did the wrong thing. I’m not excusing it, just explaining it.”

Bek smiled sadly, “God, you guys remind me of us.”

“I don’t think they went and joined a cult.” Josh pointed out.

“Six or seven times, actually.” John shook his head, “Cults can sometimes have a surprising amount of knowledge about the supernatural.”

“Like that vampire one!” Elizabeth laughed, “Do you remember that absolute treasure trove of spells? That was truly ridiculous. Though, none of those was quite mad enough to attempt summoning a Ba’al.”

John sighed, and looked at Josh, “Wyrrdin used to be a friend, back in the day. He’s an absolute arrogant cocksucker, but about the most powerful wizard to have ever lived, and certainly the most knowledgable.”

“He tries to correct me. Me!” Ba’al burst out, “I am a god, and the mortal always tries to tell me how my magic works. He is beyond arrogant. Utterly insufferable.”

Josh frowned, “If you hate him, why are you sending Ginger for him?”

“She’s right. He is terrible.” Ginger said, “But… Wyrrdin is the best. He ain’t nohow near Lils, but he the best wizard that we gots.”

Ba’al chuckled, “The Angel of the Witches? Of course a mortal doesn’t approach her strength.”

“Is Wyrrdin mortal?” Elizabeth asked, “I was under the impression that he has lived since the fifteen hundreds.”

“He’s been around since the twelve hundreds, but yes, still mortal.” Ba’al sneered, “He managed to bind one of my brothers. Get a single wish out of them, which was to live forever. Barring someone killing his arrogant toff.”

Josh frowned, “Like you did for Bek and I?”

“No. No, you can’t die. You’re immortal.” Ba’al frowned.

Ginger stared, “For fuck’s sake! Ya dinnae just break through the gates, but ya done and gone made immortals? Are ya tryin’ ta bring the Chayot Ha Kodesh down on us all?”

“I’m here. It’s the end of the world.” Ba’al rolled her eyes.

“If Michael -”

“If Mihael shows his lovely face, I’ll break it into a thousand pieces for you.” Ba’al interrupted.

“Ya reckon ya can take on the lion? Seriously?” Ginger stared.

Ba’al sighed and twirled one of her plaits, “It’s a bit beyond you, teeny tiny witch. But before people took to calling me Ba’al, back in the early days, they used to call me Auriel. It’s a cute name.”

Ginger went completely white.

“Which do you like more…?” Josh asked cautiously.

“I’m Bek and she’s me. So that suits.” Ba’al replied, grinning broadly.

The witch in the room staggered for a moment, holding out a hand until a broom appeared. “I uh… I gotta talk to Lily. Sorry, Josh. This is on ya, until I gets back.”

“He’ll be fine.” Ba’al sneered.

“I’ll… I’ll tell Wyrrdin he might want to swing by.” The witch said, before grabbing the broom and instantly vanishing.

Ba’al burst out laughing, “Did you see her face? Auriel! As if I’d be as low as that suckerpunch.”

“I do not want to know anything about gods and supernatural wars.” Josh groaned and rubbed his eyes.

Bek rubbed his head, “You won’t. She just likes showing off, Josh. Just like me. But all she wants, is you. We’re not looking to rule the seven seas, here.”

“We…?” John growled.

Bek sighed, “Yes, Dad. We. I am her, and she is me. You weren’t around so I had to make do, and this is the first thing that has made sense in a long time.”

“We didn’t have a will, dear.” Elizabeth said quietly, “They didn’t put them with the covens. They grew up without magic. Without knowing who they are.”

Josh looked up, “Kurby. That was the last name, right? That’s the family name.”

“A very old name.” John nodded, “The family have carried the weight of supernatural skill and responsibility since the Norman conquest. That is our inheritance. Not just to be witches and wizards, sorcerers and so on. We are the Magus Magnifi.”

Bek snorted, and then blushed, “Sorry Dad. But if you really think we’re powerful, you should get a taste of Ba’al.”

“She’s a god, dear.” Elizabeth pointed out.

Josh shrugged, “Well… I don’t think I want to be a magus. At all. I want to be me. I was a warehouse packer, before all this.”

“And now we have our parents back.” Bek glared at him. “Things finally make sense, Josh. Don’t be a dick.”

Ginger reappeared, looking not just stressed, but also clothed differently. Instead of her more casual outfit, she was wearing a red dress, with a matching pointed red witch’s hat.

He nodded, “Wasn’t saying anything about you, Bek. It has been a messed up couple days. Absolutely. But… I’ve not seen you this happy in a long time. You and Ba’al… Match made in hell.”

“Heaven.” Bek snorted, “She’s a lot more heaven than hell, Josh. But… You never did really like the mythology stuff, did you? I studied it, you pretended to care. Badly.”

Josh sighed, “I like it in faery tales. Not so much crashing in my spare room. I need a little bit of time to get used to things. And… Can I make a request? No more putting me in timeout on the moon, please? Pretty please?”

“Could send you to hell, instead.” Ba’al snorted, glaring for a moment, before relaxing back into Bek’s posture. “Yeah, that was a bitch move by me. Sorry. I’m just… Not coping that well. You get that, right? I have literal genie powers. I… Saved Mum ‘n Dad. Walked into hell and ripped their souls free.”

Josh nodded, “Yup. If you were coping, I’d be worried.”

Bek grinned at him suddenly, “So… About that coffee… Yours is nice ‘n all, but Ba’al has been telling me about this fucking awesome shit, called silphium.”

“The real stuff is fuckin’ awesome.” Ginger said excitedly, “Even smell it, and y’all be droolin’. Crazy hard to get. Badass magic aftertaste, too.”

Ba’al snickered at the witch, “Crazy hard, really?”

She flourished her hand, and it was suddenly holding a small tree-like herb. The roots were almost like ginseng. The flowers on it smelled like… Greenery. The essence of green and sparkling life. Josh immediately felt like he was more, just from the scent.

Ginger stared, “What the… No summoning shit, bitch! What did ya have to kill to bring it here!?”

“I’m… Not… A… Witch!” Ba’al growled, her voice dropping to a thunderous tone and that shook the floor. “You might need to use magic like a fucked up hammer, banging away like a zounderkite. I made magic, you absolute idiot. What did I sacrifice to summon a little plant? Nothing! I reached out and took what is mine.”

Ginger winced, “Please tell me, that ya didnae mess with time.”

“No. I’m not a little twitching fae.” Ba’al glared at the witch, “You really don’t get it, do you? I was here, before there was a here. I am beyond creation. I am -”

“A Ba’al.” A tired voice interrupted, and the room spun to see Lily standing in her white uniform, looking at Josh’s sister with absolute hatred in her eyes.

Bek swallowed, “Um… Josh… Feel like talking down your friend?”

“I’m not his friend. I’m not yours.” Lily sighed, pulling a rounded mug out of the air and sipping at a tea. “Right now, I’m supposed to be at a wedding for a dead girl. Instead, I’m here, because you think it’s fine to bring the dead back.”

“Valhalla.” Ba’al frowned, “You know if you send me there, it’d be chaos, right?”

Lily shrugged, “Valhalla calls to the heroes. You’re not. They clipped your wings, lil miss seraphim. Or did you think your stench escaped me when I bound you?”

“I’m not a seraphim.” Ba’al said, tears forming in her eyes as she stuck forward her chin.

Josh held up a hand, “Anyone care to explain exactly what is happening here?”

“Your sister’s demon is threatening to kick off a war I had hoped ended two thousand years ago.” Lily sighed heavily, “Sorry. I should have given you more to work with Josh, but… I had kinda thought Ba’al was dead. Hoped. Still getting my head right, and there is a lot of other shit happening right now.”

“Yeshoshua… Still hates me?” Ba’al’s bottom lip trembled.

Lily sighed heavily, “I really don’t want to know who that is. I do know, that you went and knocked in Hades’ door. You didn’t ring the doorbell. Which means he showed up on mine, demanding recompense. You took two cursed souls, so he wants ten pure ones in return.”

“Oh. Hades.” Ba’al’s expression changed instantly, and her arrogant smirk came back, “Tell him to come by. I’ll talk him down. Have no fear.”

Lily glared, “Last girl to fuck him got stuck halfway between worlds. You do that to Bek, and I’m breaking you.”

“You think you can -”

“I bound you.” Lily interrupted impatiently, “Get over your arrogance. A human, a mortal, bound your soul. You are not the great and powerful god of legend, anymore. You got old. You don’t have an army of believers running around anymore. No more sacrifices. You’re a husk.”

“No, she’s not.” Bek rolled her jaw, “This time around, witch, she’s got me. I’ve got her. All the fucked up fire of a mortal. A human girl. The creativity of someone who has been fucked every time she’s turned around. Life bitched to me, and now it’s my turn.”

Lily gave a small smile, and looked over at Josh, “Love your sister. Keep her tight. So uh… I’m going to take your parents for a bit. Sorry. Need to interview them, take statements. Bit of a purifying cleanse to get rid of their dead curse and shit.”

“Don’t. Touch them!” Bek snapped, slamming a hand on the table.

Lily yawned and touched the necklace around her neck, “Catch her.”

Josh had to dive as Bek instantly passed out. He hit his knees on the kitchen tiles, and into his shoulder into a cupboard door. He looked up at Lily in disbelief, “What did you do!?”

“Put them both to sleep.” She shrugged, “Just gave them a taste of how tired I am. They’ll be fine. And Josh… Chill. I’m about to go and sort out all of this, ‘kay? All you need to do is stop Ba’al from pissing anyone else off.”

“She… Just wants Bek to be happy.”

Lily frowned, “Wasn’t going to mention it, but… If it’ll keep her in check… Uh… Bek wants something particular. The little angry thundergod there has been making overtures for it, so probably wants to help.”

“If Ba’al is taking time to grab it, how the heck can I help? I’m no one.” Josh frowned. “I wanna help. Any way that I can. I will not lose Bek again.”

The white witch sighed, “So… Uh… I have a boyfriend. It’s a witch thing. But… He’s um… My brother…”

“You’re… Dating your brother.” Josh said very slowly, “Cool, cool. I’m totally cool with that. What does that have to do with us? Some… Spell thing? Incest makes good spells?”

“The best.” Lily grinned, and then shook off a thought, “But no. Actually I’m just trying to point out it’s a witch thing. And that your sister is a witch.”

Josh took a moment to process that.

“What?”

Lily rubbed her eyes, “She took you to Paris. Seriously, can she get any more obvious? You say you love her, but when she says it back, she hesitates. It means more for her, than you thought it did.”

Josh gave a little flinch, as he tried to fit the new idea into his head, followed by a revelation that suddenly made a lot of things make sense. The way he had utterly betrayed his sister, for one. The way she always said she loved him, when she said goodbye, except for exactly once.

Lily shrugged, “What more can I say? Secretly she wanted you. But all of her friends stuck up their nose, and played the mortal cards. Can’t have the one who is always there to protect you, if a chance of blood keeps you apart.”

“Witches seriously have no problem…?”

Lily sighed heavily, “I’m dating my brother. My best friend is dating an alien shapeshifter from another world. Oh! I recently had to help out when a zombie came back from the dead, because she loved her brother so much. Tell me the rules still apply, when you actually see the world for what it is. Go ahead. Tell me.”

“And you’ll send me to Valhalla?”

She shook her head, “Nah, that’s only for those with the warrior spirit. The ones who fight back when you kick ’em down. That’s not you, Josh. You’re not a fighter. You’re a lover. So… Love her. Love your sister. Ba’al too, if you have to.”

“And if that involves dates on other planets, or kicking down heaven’s gates to bring me a pretty outfit?” Josh frowned.

Lily snorted, “Took my brother to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe. They make good cupcakes. Relax, Josh. If there’s a problem, then I’ll be there. That’s my job. What I was literally born to do.”

“What was I born to do?” He asked bitterly, “Babysit a god of vengeance? I’m… I’m not cut out for this. I want to hit you for knocking out my sister. But I can’t. I’m a no one, and I…”

“Fuck’s sake. Can the universe knock an obvious trope through you thick head?” Lily stared, “Orphan, broke, everything but a street brat. Might as well call you Aladdin for fuck’s sake! Grow up. You’re a man with a genie, and a girl who loves you. The world is yours for the taking.”

“And if I kick off a war by accident?” Josh snapped back.

She smirked at him, “Did I mention you have a genie? If you don’t want it, snap your fingers and make your wish.”

“If you can take her out -”

Lily’s face dropped, “I… Didn’t. Actually. How I put her to sleep isn’t going to work twice. I don’t actually know if I can take on your girl, in a real fight, Josh. I don’t. I’m the White Witch, the defender of all humanity. And I don’t know. So… ”

“What did you do?”

She winced and shrugged, “I attacked your sister, not her. Ba’al didn’t think I’d do something so low. Now she knows, and she will fuck me up if I try and touch Rebecca again.”

Josh looked down, and blinked as he saw a glistening mark on his sister’s forehead. Wiping at it, he found it wouldn’t move. But it was Lily’s thumbprint from that moment that seemed so long ago, now.

He looked up, at both witches watching him cautiously, and he frowned, “I think… I think if either of you hurt my sister, or my parents, again, I won’t be able to stop Ba’al. If I command her, but don’t mean it, I doubt she’ll listen.”

“We ain’t pickin’ no fight.” Ginger said, putting a hand on Lily’s shoulder. “I know we ain’t no friends. But we wanna be. Ain’t lookin’ for nothin’ but what is best for everyone, Josh. Meanin’ it. I’d love to do tea with ya. Even with Ba’al’s silphium.”

“Nzambici, I want to steal that.” Lily glanced at the plant on the table.

Josh nodded, looking back down and stroking Bek’s still face. “How long is she going to be out?”

“About long enough for us to get to the end of universe and hide out for a bit.” Lily laughed nervously, “Ba’al is going to be… Pissed. Please stop her pissing on everyone, if you can.”

“You hurt Bek. She has a right to be angry.”

“Not arguing.”

Josh made a decision, smiling and looking up, “One thing, first. That disappearing trick you do with the broomstick? Can you do it with us? Take us somewhere?”

Ginger grinned, “Where ya wanna go?”

---

On second thought, waking his sister up on top of a skyscraper wasn’t the very best idea that Josh had ever had. Especially as she socked him in the nose as she woke up.

“Where’s the witch!? I’m gonna fuckin’… THE FUCK!?” Bek screamed, staring down in terror at the glass floor she found herself on, before her voice changed and scoffing, “I can fly. You think this can intimidate me!?”

Josh held his nose and wheezed, “Actually, no.”

Bek blinked, and tears welled up in her eyes, her bottom lip trembling. “You… Remembered.”

Josh nodded weakly, patting his pockets and hoping for tissues or a hankey. Instead Bek skipped up to him, pulled his hand from his bleed nose and gave a tiny kiss to the tip.

He sucked in his breath as a river of cold shot through him. He felt the blood dry, crinkle, and float away in the wind. His nose straightened itself without a single spark of pain.

She smiled as she took his hand, “I… This is… Where I said it. The first time.”

“The place you first told me that you loved me, and meant it.” Josh replied, before pulling her into a hug from behind. Looking out of the city where he’d lived, ever since that moment.

Bek leaned into him softly, and sighed heavily, “Fucked up few days, huh?”

“Yup.”

She took another deep breath, “I meant it. I know Lily told you, because that bitch can’t stop me. Knock me out? Ha! Bitch, I might have been trapped… But the payback is gonna be worse than hell opening its gates.”

“You were saying something…?” Josh tried to distract her from sounding like a villain.

“I said… I love you. I love you, Josh.” Bek whispered, pushing into him more, pulling his arms around to protect her from what she was saying. “I don’t know why or how. I know I’m never supposed to. But you and I… We’re… I could always find you. Always know you. Because we’re meant to be. Does that make sense?”

“No… But it makes more sense than most magic things do, to me.” Josh leaned his chin on her head, “This is your world, Bek. Not mine. I don’t understand a single thing about it. But you were always meant for Ba’al. To be a witch that no one can shout down. Guarantee it. That feels like real destiny.”

Bek gave a small laugh, “And Ba’al’s your bitch. She and me, we’re yours. Finally. Forever. Whatever you ask, whatever you give for just one wish… We’ll make it true.”

“That feels so very wrong.”

She leaned up and kissed the bottom of his chin, “Do it. Please. Tell me your wish, Josh. I brought Mum and Dad back. I need to know what your heart’s desire is. I’ve never seen it clearly. What do… You… Want?”

He thought about everything that happened. Every flash of panic over the last few days, and he looked down at her, “What I want… Is for you… To be safe. Forever. I can’t protect you. Not enough.”

Bek smiled sadly at him, “I offer you the world, and you want what I already got by accident. Yeah, that’s you.”

Josh shrugged sheepishly, “Sorry.”

“I love you.” Bek said, kissing his chin again, “I mean it, and I’m never taking it back. Not anymore. Wish I could have told you myself, but that was stolen. All the same… I love you.”

“Paris was a date, wasn’t it?”

She blushed and looked down, “Duh…”

“Well… So is this. First date from my perspective. Second for you.” Josh shrugged, and then took a deep breath, “Second for Ba’al, as well. Because you two aren’t two really, are you?”

Bek looked up at him, “Told her you were a sweetheart. Of course you accept us both.”

“Blurry as fuck both.” Josh pointed out.

Ba’al laughed at him, “It wouldn’t be fun, if it were easy, my lord! Now, on that note, can I please get back to calling you master? Please?”

“I… No.” Josh winced, “Look, I know you like it, but I really don’t. Just like Bek despises it if I call her Rebecca.”

Ba’al rolled her eyes, and then Bek smiled at him, “Right. So call me that, again.”

“Prefer to do this.” Josh took her hand and led her off the viewing platform, and inside to the restaurant. A restaurant that had shut down, completely broke, and now had a certain red-headed witch laughing in the kitchen as she cooked up a storm.

A woman who looked exactly like Lily bounced up to them in a waitress’ outfit. Exactly the same, apart from a small antenna sticking up and out of her head. “Hey! What can I get you three cuties!?”

“Changeling.” Ba’al sneered, lifting a hand to slap her.

Josh caught her wrist, “Yes, this is Fan. She’s helping out Ginger today. Because they’re cooking for us.”

“Fan…?” Bek asked in surprise, “Sorry. Probably sounding a bit insensitive of me. I just didn’t expect such a cute name for a… Demon?”

The woman blinked twice, nodded slowly, then raised a hand and pointed at the antenna sticking out of her hair.

Josh leaned down and whispered to Bek when she didn’t immediately get it, “Alien. Not demon.”

She went bright red, “Oh. I am sooo sorry. I didn’t really notice other life taking place, and so -”

“Wait.” Fan frowned, “You remember life happening? And you thought I was a demon. Are you a demon?”

“God.” Ba’al shrugged, and Bek continued, “I’m sorta… Possessed? There’s both of us in here.”

“That is so cool!” Fan’s eyes lit up, “I’ve never met a carnal entity before! I asked Lily if she’d bring me back a friend from Valhalla, and she kinda told me to go fuck myself, so I did that, but she still wouldn’t! She can be mean… But Ryker’s a sweetheart!”

“Fan!” Ginger called from the kitchen, “Stop ya blabbering, and give ’em a seat. They wanna make out ‘n stuff. Not deal with ya!”

“Ooh! Making out!” Fan grinned, “Can I join?”

Josh coughed nervously, “Uh… No.”

Her face crashed and she looked close to tears, “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to… I-I’m bad at human things. Still learning. My planet does things differently. Kinda why I left. But anyways… Table?”

Josh felt a total bully as they followed the waitress to the table, but she was skipping as she left, the antenna on top of head swaying side to side.

He pulled out the chair for Bek. Which resulted in Ba’al glaring at him, because she absolutely did not need his help. All the same she took it, and he pushed it in as she sat down.

He walked around the table, and then stared as his chair scooted back all by itself. Josh looked over at Ba’al’s smile of self-satisfaction, before allowing her to seat him.

Fan reappeared, twirling and spinning as she inserted a paper menu into each of their hands, filling their glasses with a softly glistening yellow wine without being asked, and instantly disappearing again.

Josh looked at the menu in confusion, and then looked up to see how Ba’al would be handling it. Bek was bright red, attempting and failing to hold back her laughter.

“Guess we’re getting the Witch’s Special, huh?”

Bek snorted and shook her head, “Well, I guess I shouldn’t really be surprised. Ginger is running the place all by herself.”

“Ingredients: Whatever the fuck I be feelin’.” Josh quoted.

Bek laughed out loud and shook her head, “Do you think she realised Fan was transcribing it?”

“Knowing Ginger as poorly as I do… Maybe?” Josh grinned back.

Ba’al took over, glowering, “I know her better than I should. There’s something… That witch is not who she appears to be.”

“Never been nothin’ but me.” Ginger appeared, wearing a traditional chef’s outfit, with tall chef’s hat. But all in scarlet red.

She lowered two plates onto the table, and winked at Josh, “Ya owe me a dance for all this lot.”

“The fuck he does.” Bek snapped.

Ginger grinned at her, “Nice to see ya about, lovely. Twas a joke. I ain’t takin’ your man. As yum as he might be.”

Bek blushed, “You… Um… He’s not… We…”

“It is a date.” Josh said quietly, “Can’t say I get everything, or that I’m not weirded out or anxious as hell. But it is a date. With the both of you.”

Ba’al snorted, “Witches always do this shit. Walk around like they own the place, and then blame you, if you reach for the pentagram to put them back where they belong.”

“Been there.” Ginger yawned, “And I didn’t beat the door down, neither. Just knocked. Raquel came back on her ownsome. Someone had to go look. Stuff be messed up down there. Ya didnae need to kill no guards.”

“Didn’t.” Ba’al snapped, before Bek shrugged sheepishly, “I… Guess I… Might have expected a fight. But they were our parents. Our real parents.”

“Who Lils is loving ‘n taking care of. Guarantee it.” Ginger said smoothly, and gave a quick stroke to Bek’s cheek, which resulted in Ba’al sneering and trying to bite the finger.

Josh sighed, “Can we maybe keep the theological crises out of dinner?”

“Sorry. I got a forked tongue on ma.” Ginger apologised smoothly, and then waved to the two meals. “I hail from the Highlands, off a bit, and down the rabbit hole. So I cooked ya the last meal I had before that turned a bit Wonderland on ma. Ya starting with Scottish porridge, strawberries, ‘n blueberries.”

“I love porridge.” Bek said with embarrassment.

Josh nodded to Ginger, who turned to leave, before picking up a spoonful, “I seem to remember someone filling her drink bottle with porridge, and then forgetting about it for a week.”

“Month.” Bek flushed bright red.

He shook his head, “You made me wash it out.”

“Elsa would have killed me if she knew I did it!” Bek complained, “That bitch had a soft spot for her best son. Josh the mighty. He can open a jar, so I love him. Bek can do maths, but that’s not a girl thing, so she can get fucked.”

Josh sighed and nodded, “You had a rough time of things. I did get it easier. No idea why. Stats say the guys get it as bad as the girls.”

“Stats also say most of the homeless were adopted. There’s something right fucked with the system.” Bek said angrily, before Ba’al gave a small smile, “We could do something about that, if you wanted.”

He shrugged, eating the porridge, “Not sure if I know how to fix it.”

“Just wish.” She shrugged, “Let the god in me take care of the details.”

Josh blinked, and then laughed, “Do you think I haven’t read One Thousand and One Nights? Everything goes bad if you let the genie handle the details. You couldn’t help yourself, Ba’al. You’d have to twist it in your own way. It’s just your nature.”

She glowered, but said nothing.

The strawberries weren’t soft like Josh was expected. Each burst in his mouth with a flood and swirl of the beautiful and bright sweetness, carrying a feeling of somewhere distant. Like standing on the wet grass in a foggy storm, along the mountainside.

Bek seemed to love her starter, however Ba’al didn’t agree. His sister glowed with every mouthful, grinning over at him as she shovelled it in like no tomorrow. Her other half shuddered, and seemed to force it down with gulps.

The blueberries were different. After the first one, Josh wasn’t interested in a second. He did have to admit there was a taste to it. A certain peculiarness that almost left him shaking.

Ba’al saw his face as he put down the spoon and grinned, popping one lightly into her mouth with her fingers. “What? You don’t have the taste for Limbo? Maybe if Ginger gave us a little Lust, it would be better suited.”

Josh frowned, and then blinked, “Wait. These things taste like hell?”

“Hell is desperation.” Ba’al replied esoterically, throwing another blueberry into her mouth.

He sighed and shook his head, “Anyways… There’s no chance you’re still interested in doing an art, is there Bek? Lily basically gave me the go-ahead to use Ba’al’s power if it wasn’t going to wreck the universe. We could actually give you a decent artroom. A gallery, too.”

“Been a while since I painted any shit.” Bek said glumly, “I… I got too far into the other stuff. Focused my art into my spells. Most of which did absolutely nothing, but now I’ve got a teacher.”

“So… We’re going full witch?”

Bek glared, “You might not like us being magus, Josh, but it is absolutely who I am. Ba’al or not. I am a witch, I have always been a witch, and I will be a witch whether you like it or not!”

“As long as your spellroom won’t include a sacrificial altar, I’ll be okay.” Josh said gently.

She blinked and then grinned, “A real room. Not just something that Rolph slapped together whilst high. A place which actually enhances the flow of magic. Just sitting there, watching it, would be incredible.”

He smiled, “Within the possibilities.”

“I ain’t calling you master, or blubbering a thanks.” Bek scowled, “If that’s what you’re looking for, go fuck yourself. You abandoned me.”

Josh raised his hands, “Trying to make up for things, here! I know I’m to blame. I do. I fucked up. I’ve said it, and I’ll say it again. I didn’t understand, I fucked up and -”

“And I fucked myself worse, following.” Bek sighed, “I don’t blame you, Josh. I really don’t. It’s just… Easier… To act all angry when all I wanna do is cry.”

He reached over and squeezed her hand, “I’ll take your anger, any day.”

“What about mine?”

Josh leaned back, “Can I not just have a moment with my sister? You’ve been protecting her from the tears since you arrived. Great. Thanks. I still want to do something, too.”

“It was an actual question. Not a threat. Do you think you can handle me, at my worst?” Ba’al snapped.

“Nope. Not even a little.”

Her face softened, and Bek frowned, “I uh… I dunno how you did that shit, Josh but… Ba’al’s crying. I didn’t know she could cry. Holy shit is she upset.”

He winced, “You can’t help me out here, could you?”

“I dunno.” Bek shrugged cluelessly, “I guess she… Wanted you to say yes? Like… Be her master. The one holding her chain or some fucked up shit. She doesn’t want you to be her equal.”

“That’s fucked.” Josh pointed out.

Bek frowned, “Yeah… Actually… I think she just wants to do stuff. Like she only feels happy, if she’s fulfilling your wish. Rest of the time she’s pissy or depressed. She needs to use magic, to feel okay. She is a spirit made of the shit.”

“I wish I knew how to help.” Josh shrugged.

The lights in the room flickered, and Bek slammed a fist onto the table. Thorns cut through the skin, leaking tiny droplets of blood. She glared across at him, “Don’t use that word lightly.”

“I really do want to know how to help you. Both of you.” Josh tried to ignore the horror.

The light in the room stopped flickering, as it plunged into darkness. A single candle sputtering into existence between the two of them, reflected in Bek’s eyes, as Ba’al began to intone.

In twilight’s hush, where shadows play,

I whisper secrets, night by day.

To those who’ll listen, I reveal my name,

But mortals pass me by, without a claim!

Their prayers and wishes, they don’t recall,

I’m just a whispered rumour, a forgotten call.

But I’m a god! With powers so grand.

Ignored by all, in this world so bland,

I’ll unleash my wrath, and let the flames arise!

For no one cared, when I cried out to the skies.

I’ve watched the world spin, through ages old!

Humans rise and fall, their stories untold,

Their petty squabbles, their wars and strife!

They think they’re kings, but they’re just a brief life.

I’ve seen the end of empires, and the birth of new!

But still they ignore me, as I stand above the few.

I’m a god! With powers so grand.

Ignored by all, in this world so bland,

I’ll unleash my wrath, and let the flames arise!

For no one cared, when I cried out to the skies.

The earth will shudder, the skies will burn!

The oceans boil, as the world’s concerns turn.

The flames of fury, that I’ve long contained,

Will consume all, and leave naught but pain

This world will end, in a blaze of fire,

And then I’ll be remembered, as the one who conspired.

For in their blindness, they ignored my call…

Now all will burn, as I take my final fall.

The candle whooshed out, and then the light slowly faded out of the room as Josh stared in horror towards his sister, who was nervously scratching behind one of her ears.

Before he could say anything, Fan cartwheeled into the room, flipping over the table and replacing their plates with two new ones. She landed and did a ballet twirl on the tips of one of her toes. “Fish ‘n chips! Really, really, really, really, really good fish, and bear batter fries. I suggest whale blubber instead, but apparently that’s fuckin’ creepy. So just bear batter.”

Josh coughed nervously, “Do you mean bear batter, or beer batter?”

Fan frowned and tapped her lips with a finger, “Hmm. I’ll have to check with the chef. Just a moment.”

“Please tell me that Ba’al just didn’t threaten to destroy the world.” Bek asked hoarsely.

Josh shrugged, “She’s… Ba’al. The Ba’al. God of the ancient world. God of thunder. Used to be worshipped everywhere in the Middle East? It… Sorta makes sense. She feels neglected. Like you did. That’s why she connected with you.”

“You… Leaving…” Bek said slowly, and then flushed bright red. “So it really is my fault.”

“If you blame her, my lord, I’m going to hurt someone.” Ba’al snarled.

Josh sighed, “No, it’s not your fault, Bek. Shit. I can’t believe you’d blame yourself for what happened. No. No! It has never been remotely your fault. I would never, ever, blame you for that.”

“Blame me if I go ragnarok on the world, though.” Bek said glumly, and picked up one of her chips. Glaring at it until the potato burst into flames, before turning to charcoal, and crumbling away.

“I’d blame me.”

She blinked and stared, “Come again?”

“That’s what being the big brother is. What being the master is, too, I guess.” Josh shrugged, “You’re the one with responsibility. The one meant to try and make sure everything happens, as it is supposed to.”

Bek’s mouth dropped open, before recovering and wiping at her eyes. “God, I love you. Always the one I can count on.”

“Not always. But… I do try.”

She stood up, walking around the table, and leaned down to him. Bek didn’t ask or say anything else, before she broke the taboo. Josh felt himself seize up in confusion as she kissed him.

Her lips were soft. Softer than any he had ever kissed before. Softer than he’d thought she could be. Soft and warm, instantly joining the two of them in a way he hadn’t even known was possible. Her breathing on his cheek matched his own, he was as close a part of her as Ba’al.

Every pent up and confused thought of his sister was purified in the moment. Finally showing him what she felt for him, without hesitation, without shielding it. All of her love, unadulterated, was pouring out in the singular kiss.

The cracks and hesitations in his own thoughts melted away. Washed away as he felt what she had always known. The two of them were two pieces to the same half, they were always meant to be.

“Ooh! Can I join?” Fan asked from behind, only for Bek to wave a hand of dismissal, laughing as she did.

The kiss resumed, without holding back. Josh felt himself push his tongue first, only for hers to meet his. Tracing his teeth as it wrapped around his own. Making him blink for a moment before realising that Bek now had more than one tongue.

His hands went behind her head, gently holding onto her. Showing her with every breath that he loved her just the way she did. That this wasn’t some mistake, or some momentary lapse of judgement. He really did love her, even if it had taken him longer to realise it.

Bek climbed into his lap, pushing her hips down against him, pulling him into her. One of his hands moved down to the base of her back, supporting her and holding her in place.

“Yup. Fan weren’t lying. We’re out.” Ginger said with a sigh.

Which resulted in Bek finally breaking the kiss, glaring over as the witch reached for a broom. She pointed an accusing finger, “I wish you’d shut your face!”

The witch’s hand touched the broom, both her and Fan instantly vanishing. It wasn’t fast enough to hide that her mouth had disappeared. Josh had seen it, the fright and the expression of horror just as Ginger vanished into the ether.

Bek turned back to him with a grin, and he held up a hand, “Can we avoid starting magical wars, whilst we make out?”

She shrugged and then slid down onto the floor excitedly, “Didn’t you just want her to shut up? She doesn’t sound cool or hip. She’s a bitch with an attitude problem, and I’ve got an adjuster in me soul.”

“Ginger was kinda… Nice?”

Bek hesitated and looked up at him, as her fingers where on the button of his jeans, “Seriously? Fiiiiiiine. There. Ginger is fine. You can be friends with the wild bitch in the witch.”

“I tried to let you have your friends, too.”

Bek nodded, “Aha. I healed her. She’s fine. Seriously. Probably screaming in Lily’s ear about us, too. So if you wanna do anything with this mood…”

“Wait.” Josh blinked, raising her chin, “This isn’t just a thing, is it?”

She stared at him in exasperation, “No! Sheesh. I wanna be yours, forever. I’m down with Ba’al on that one. Yours, Josh. Forever. Buut… Can we kick it off with a little sex? Please? God I feel like a whore, asking.”

Josh put his hands in her armpits and lifted her up to sit on the table, smiling at his sister. “Well, if we’re starting things that way, I reckon I should make up for failing you.”

“You didn’t.”

He shrugged, reaching into the band of her pants, his old pants, and flicked the button to undo them. Grinning as he lowered the hips to the table. Bek flushed bright red, but also lifted herself so he could pull them down.

Josh left them around her ankles, running his hands back and forth across her knees before gently widening her.

He dropped to the floor, taking a moment to breathe on her. Bek shuddered, giving out a breathless moan, before whispering, “F-fuck.”

He grinned and dove in.

An expert with his tongue, he was not. Josh hadn’t exactly been in any relationship long enough to learn exactly how to match what a girl wanted. He couldn’t tell if she wanted deeper, faster, or slower. He just licked away, pausing every now then to suckle at her clit.

For her part, Bek just sat there, shuddering and breathing very deeply and slowly. Her knuckles were white as she gripped onto the edge of the table. The hair from her bush scratched at his nose, but he could feel a sort of tension letting down within the rest of her.

This day had been the craziest that Josh had ever experienced. He’d got his sister back, discovered magic, been to the moon and watched her drag their parents back from hell itself. He’d discovered his parents were murdered, and that his sister had always wanted him to be her one.

The only thing that really made sense in any of it… Was that he and Bek were meant to be.

Every moment of pain that his sister had known, he couldn’t take away. All the same that the goal he was aiming at, as he nuzzled his nose into her labia, tongue trying to go deeper, as he almost wished that his tongue was as impressive as Gene Simmons’. Trying to erase the past with at least one beautiful moment.

Sex was hardly a compensation for pain, but as a promise that love would follow, it might be exactly what she needed right now.

“Keep… Thinking like… That…” Bek gasped, “And I’ll be… Crying… Not… Screwing…”

Josh grinned, pausing to make a quip, “What, that I have a KISS tongue?”

She shoved him right back down, “You do. Oh, you do.”

He felt his tongue changing. Writhing and stretching, becoming broader and deeper, more flexible. He needed to have a talk with Ba’al about boundaries. All the same, his tongue pushed right down inside her, feeling her clenching around him, until he could flick and slather all over the twisting nub at the back of her.

Her curled bush was soft and silky against his face, a few scratching hairs, but far fewer than were reasonable. Her clit far more wet than he’d expected, as he buried his nose into it, doing his very best to raise her from a panting gasp to a moan, a groan, and the cry he really wanted to hear.

Her thighs tightened, and Josh could feel Bek pushing down, struggling as she tried to force it. Close, but not close enough, frustrated as she dangled over the edge. It was up to him, here and now. Not to change it up, but to find just that edge she needed. The same, but more.

Bek didn’t taste at all like Josh expected. There wasn’t a whole heap of taste, at all, but what there was, tasted more akin to honey and milk. The smell was intense, but earthy, with spice and herb. He was confused as hell, but whatever shampoo she used was absolutely working for him.

“Feed upon the garden!” Ba’al suddenly screamed, clenching her thighs, “Gather in the lillies!”

He had not a clue what she was saying, but Josh was pretty sure he was doing the right thing, so he tried to keep going, exactly as he was. Not to alter a single thing, every stroke and flick of the tongue exactly as that sudden shriek.

“Haste… Make haste!” Ba’al groaned.

Bek let out a long and weak moan, “H-harder… She means… Harder…”

Josh pushed his face in as far as it could go, and tried to force his new tongue to move faster and harder. Feeling the strain at the base of the muscle as he pushed it as hard as he could go.

“S-slower. For me. Slower.” Bek moaned.

“No! Haste upon haste!”

Josh couldn’t help but laugh, before accomodating his sister. She asked first.

Knees shivered and shuddered behind his head, before her fingers in his hair suddenly clenched up, and Bek let out a low and guttural grunt – just a single sound. However, immediately following, Josh was falling backwards and spluttering, trying not to drown.

Bek gave a tiny giggle, “Whoops.”

“That… Holy hellthire.” Josh shook his head. He frowned and rolled his mouth, “I donth think I canth thalk with this.”

Ba’al waved a hand casually, “It was just temporary, my lord.”

His tongue shrivelled, a feeling that made him distinctly uncomfortable, and then he grinned and kissed his sister’s cheek. She rolled her eyes, and grabbed his shirt to wipe the cum off.

The two stood there for a moment, right on the cusp, just smiling, and then Ba’al made her decision. “Back to Paris, m’lord? I doubt many have graced the Eiffel Tower in a way that you could. No corners, no hiding. On full display, as lord of this world.”

“No… Not appealing.” Josh shook his head, “But… Bek?”

She nodded, “Aha. Your house. Mine kinda burnt down. I wanna fuck you, Josh. Geeze, you make me sound like a slut… Uh… I love you. I want you. Lets seal the deal.”

Ba’al cracked her neck and stretched her fingers dramatically, before winking at him, and they were standing in his bedroom. He wasn’t sure if he’d blinked and missed it at first. His mind took a second to catch up to the new location, but Bek didn’t.

She had him flat on his back and on the bed, and pants hanging off one ankle, before he even knew what was happening. Bek hesitated as she sat above him, her face going serious, and then she slowly descended.

There was no hesitation, no misguided trying to line up the angle. The two of them immediately fit together. Josh sucked in his breath as her warmth surrounded him, drifting downwards until he was buried to the hilt inside her.

His sister gave a small smile down at him, and stroked the edge of his cheek, before she began to very gently rock. The two of them barely moving, just enough to enjoy holding onto each other.

Josh went to tell her how he felt, that this wasn’t just a moment. Bek put a finger to his lips, a look of bliss on her face. She had her hands on his chest, as she arched and descended, a steady and unfaltering pace.

She was a gentle fire around him, a warmth that was more than he knew exactly what to do with. Holding tight to him, as he pierced into her, finding the barriers between who was who, finally beginning to fall.

Josh pulled her down, kissing her cheek, before placing one hand above her ass and thrusting in deeper. He was gentle, but determined. Bek gasped into his ear, and let out a shaking moan.

Bek kissed at his chin, pushing back against him, grinding onto his hips. Thunder rolled by quietly outside. He could feel himself in her, in a way that he hadn’t even known was possible. He felt closer to her than was even possible, two hearts beating as one.

“You’re my Narum, tesimuha.” Ba’al groaned into him, “Anati nu’muha kama tesimi. Namiru hatiratu ‘Ili.”

Bek gave a small laugh and kissed him, “She might like you, just a bit. Like me. She loves you, Josh, even if she can’t say it in English.”

“Long as it wasn’t a curse.” Josh kissed her back.

Ba’al leaned up, pushing down on his chest, “That was uncalled for, my lord. I serve you, always. I and Bek are one. We have one desire in you, our souls to be one.”

“Sounds like love.” Josh agreed.

The goddess frowned, unconvinced.

Bek sighed, “Sorry, Josh. But uh… You might have just ruined the moment.”

“For you, I will let him bed us. He may even pull the pillars out of this temple.”

Josh winced, “No. Rejection is rejection. You do not have the right to reject a rejection. No one does. That’s a sad, sad, alpha man.”

“You would resist breaking my sceptor, whilst within me?” Ba’al burst out laughing, “Oh truly, Bek, this one is the one.”

“I know.” Bek rolled her eyes.

Ba’al leaned down and kissed the tip of his nose, before clenching tight around him. She smirked, “Fire feeds the house. We’re still strangers, my lord. Yet… In all you do and have done… Can hardly reject the truth. For Bek, you would do everything. Not anything. Everything.”

“I… Love her.”

“And for that, I love you.” Ba’al kissed him.

That moment, turned into the next. Josh found himself rolling her over, as Bek let out her little gasps, and between each one there was a flash of Ba’al’s determination in her eyes. His hands either side of her head, as he gave himself to them.

She thrust up against him, as hard as he pushed down. There was a perfect synchronicity to their movements. Every single thing they did, they did as one.

She clawed at his back as he gasped in her ear. She moaned as his teeth brushed her shoulder. Her ankles were twisted around his, keeping his knees apart, and keeping him inside of her.

All three of them were lost to the moment. Josh whispering loving nothings to Bek, who promised a future to Ba’al, who was hesitantly embracing her lord as master, whether or not he wanted it.

It was in that perfect moment Josh felt himself arrive.

He grunted as he spilled forth. A heavy impacting sound into Bek’s ear, as she grabbed onto him and let out a whimpering moan. The two of them gasping for breath and smiling at each other as he leaked out and down her front.

Bek’s eyes flashed to dark, and Ba’al tossed Josh backwards. He hit the bedroom floor as the woman stood up, clenching her fists.

“Ba’al…?”

She tossed a hand skywards, and there was an instant response of thunder that rattled every window in the house. She glared down at him, and spoke slowly, “The pact is unsealed. Ba’la ntrt qndt nsny!”

“Oh fuck.” Josh shivered, and his sister vanished.

There was a crackle beside him, and Josh threw himself to the side as a woman stepped into the room, holding a bolt of lightning in her hands. She looked around below her wide-brimmed white hat, and stared at him, “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Are you fucking Zeus!?”

Lily rolled her eyes, “No, you are, idiot. I was… Interviewing your parents. What the fuck did you… Shit. Shit, shit. Sex magic. Of course Ba’al would go and snap the fucking bond.”

Josh struggled to his feet, trying to ignore his semi still pointing at waist height, “I thought you said this was fine! Everything was going to be fine!”

“She’s a god, you idiot! Of course nothing’s fine! Changeable as the fucking wind means fucking her!” Lily yelled back, and then took a deep breath. “Sorry. I was busy. You didn’t deserve that. Ryker’s trying to teach me to be nicer, to people who don’t know better. I’ve got a temper.”

He winced, “Is your temper going to save Bek?”

Lily wiped her hand through the air, turning up her nose as she dripped cum to the ground. “Uh… Lemme… Just… Well, fuck. Uhm. How do I say it nicely? Your sister and Ba’al fucked you on purpose. They did guilt about it, I’m guessing, but it was on purpose.”

“Yes, sex on purpose.” Josh blinked.

Lily shook her head, “No, dude. No. This wasn’t sex. It was a spell. One intended to break the leash between you and her, and it worked because binding a motherfucking god, who actually did fuck her mum at one point, is next to fucking impossible.”

“… Why? Why did she need to break it?”

The White Witch took a deep breath, “Dunno, to be honest. I do kinda want you along, whilst we go ask them though, because Bek was in on it. The two worked together.”

“They’re pretty… In sync?” Josh offered dumbly.

“Dude. Pants.” Lily pointed, “Then we can go yell at a god, ‘kay?”

---

Lily opened the door, with a little jingle of the bell, and Josh followed behind her slowly. The witch took off her hat as she entered, twirling it and vanishing it from her hand as she frowned deeply.

Bek looked up from her bowl, mouth falling open and dropping a ball of icecream into it. “Seriously!?”

Josh held up his hands, “Hey, Ba’al. Chill. People just want to know -”

“Am I a slave, an attendant of Asherah? Am I a slave, to handle…?” She said incredulously.

Lily yawned, sitting down across from the woman, “Cut the crap. You knew there would be consequences to breaking one of my spells. So either zip it, or tell me why I shouldn’t be banishing you straight to hell.”

“For one, you can’t. Been there. Recently.” Ba’al pointed out, before Bek took over, “You wouldn’t want it either. Woman to woman. Would you accept anybody holding a leash on your soul? I… Needed to know. If it was real.”

Lily sighed, “Fair, but… The two of you were always meant to be. Some destiny bullshit.”

“Can’t tell what’s a spell, and what’s real, when you’re under.” Bek disagreed. “Even psychology is all about real truth, and the perception of truth. Never believe a summon. That’s a rule of magic, right?”

The White Witch shrugged, “True. But you also don’t leave your date covered in cum to go hoard icecream. That’s a rule of being human, right?”

Bek frowned, “You’re right. I’m not. Not human anymore, which is what you’re afraid of. I won’t hurt Josh, but I’ll hurt you. And… You’re right. So… Fuck. Off.”

“Bek!”

She pointed a finger at him, whilst still glaring Lily in the eye, “You, shuddup. I was just trying to think straight. I didn’t betray you, or leave you on the moon again.”

“A storm god, on the moon. Just what the world needs.” Lily said with irritation, “You do get that, right? World’s on a knife’s edge, right now. My job is -”

“Over, little one. Your job is over.” Ba’al said darkly, “That White Witch was appointed to watch over humanity, for the gods were gone. We were bound, enslaved, hidden away. Ashamed to face you, for what you have become. Why worship the aspects of this world, when you’re boiling it alive?”

Lily rolled her jaw, “I don’t wanna, but I will fight you.”

“Fire feeds the house. Flame feeds upon the palace. The silver turns to blocks, the gold to bricks.” Ba’al replied and gave a tired smile, “The gods are coming back, witch. I have many claims upon you, for your many insults, but I take none. Go on your way. Return to Ryker, and live a normal life.”

“What do you mean, you’re coming back. You’re summoning was an accident, by an idiot.” Lily said through gritted teeth.

Ba’al blinked, “But I wasn’t the first, was I?”

“Third.” Lily admitted and winced, “I mean, there’s others. Most are happy in Valkyrie or whatever other shit paradise they want. But you’re the third to come back here.”

The woman nodded tiredly and scooped up a spoonful of icecream, glaring at it and recrystallising the melt, before putting it on her tongue. “Can’t help ya. I was bound up in hellfire, but I wasn’t in hell. Rolph broke me free. Haven’t been around anyone else.”

“The Chayot Ha Kodesh.” Lily growled.

Josh held up his hand, “The what now?”

“Mihael does as he sees fit. Always has.” Ba’al yawned, “Can we not talk about family? That’s… How would Bek put it? Boring as fuck. So fuck off, lil witch. I’m no great traitor.”

“I -”

Ba’al glared, and Lily vanished.

Josh stumbled backwards and looked around wildly. No one else in the shop seemed to have noticed anything at all. The entire conversation was private to those in the know to the supernatural, or some spell along those lines.

Bek sighed, “Yeah, yeah. Go ahead and yell. I left you in the bedroom and…”

“You were probably confused as fuck.” Josh stated and nervously stood beside the chair which Lily had vanished from. “Just broke free. Trying to work out how much-”

“Close, but no cigar.” Bek interrupted, “Mostly I was confused, and then depressed. Hence, icecream. I… I expected it all to be different, Josh. To feel more for you, or less. I wanted to be sure of us, or sure we shouldn’t be.”

He winced, “You’ve got doubts.”

“Yeah!” Bek burst out, “I got sunk into a cult that stuck a demon god up my pussy, and you walked out on me! I have doubts. I forgive you, and I understand it, but… Dude. What happens next time? What happens if Lily decides I need to die? You going to have her back then, too? Or mine?”